JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



35 



and uear the mouth of Bluehill Bay. 

 These are Ship, Eastern Barge, Western 

 Barge and Trumi)et Islands. The 

 Barges are the outer islands of the chain, 

 and are mere ledges covered witii grass 

 and cow-parsnips, while Ship Island is 

 a large grassy island about three-quar- 

 ters of a mile in circumference with a 

 barn on its southern end. Trumpet is 

 the northern island of this chain and is 

 perhaps one-half mile long and one- 

 quarter mile broad. It is high and 

 grassy on the half towards Ship Island, 

 while at the other end it is low and cov- 

 ered with coarse marsh grass. Its bor- 

 ders are covered with a tall growth of 

 cow-parsnips, beach-peas and grasses. 



Heron Island is about seven miles to 

 the east of south from Sunshine, and is 

 covered with spruces. Like all the fol- 

 lowing it is one of the outer chain of 

 islands. 



Mason's, Black, Spirit and Way 

 Ledges are small rocky ledges, covered 

 with boulders and on which the only 

 vegetation is a very few clumps of cow- 

 parsnip and tall grass. The length of 

 the longest of these is not over three 

 hundred and fifty feet. Saddleback and 

 Halibut Ledges are larger grassy'ledges. 

 Lower Mark Island is a small island 

 which was formerly wooded but all the 

 trees save one were cut away by a gov- 

 ernment surveying party, whence its 

 name. It is now covered with grass. 

 These are all in a general southerly 

 direction and at a distance of from seven 

 to ten miles from Sunshine. 



Big Spoon and Little Spoon are two 

 grassy islands on which grow a few 

 scattered spruces. They are about 

 twelve miles to the west of south from 

 Sunshine, and about three miles to the 

 east of the far-famed Isle au Haut. 



Just to their northward two small, steep, 

 rocky ledges rise abruptly from mid- 

 ocean. These are Black Horse and 

 White Horse Ledges. 



Seal Island is large and grassy, and 

 is iu mid ocean about twenty-three 

 miles southwest of Sunshine. In a few 

 places its shores are covered with piled 

 up boulders, while elsewhere rocky 

 cliffs and ledges predominate. It has a 

 small shanty on it which is inhabited by 

 a few fishermen. 



Having a correct idea of the location, 

 size and aspect of these islands, readers 

 of this article may be better able to 

 picture to themselves why certain of the 

 seabirds described hereafter have chosen 

 to breed on only a few particular islands. 



PuflSn. Fratercula arctica (Linn.). 



Our "Little brother of the north," the 

 Sea Parrot, is, alas, no longer a breeding 

 bird within our limits nor has it been 

 since I have visited these islands. Fish- 

 ermen whose veracity is undoubted have 

 assured me that the Parrots used to nest 

 on Seal Island as recently as 1886, but 

 at present they occur there only in late 

 fall, winter and spring. I am informed 

 that three or four pair nested on IMatin- 

 icus Rock, to the westward of Seal 

 Island, as recently as 1897, and being 

 protected by the lighthouse keeper they 

 may still continue to breed there. Their 

 nests were said to be placed far under 

 the rocky boulders composing the sea- 

 wall. 

 Black Guillemot. Cejjphus grylle (Linn.) . 



This is one of our few seabirds which 

 is not much subjected to the persecu- 

 tions of man, and consequently the Sea 

 Pigeons are likely to continue breeding 

 in their rookeries on the most inaccessi- 

 ble of our islands for many years to 

 come. Although a resident species, it 

 is most common in fall and spring. 



