74 



Uria grylle, Linn. Breeding everywhere in abundance. One 

 specimen had the posterior edges of the upper mandible and the 

 lower edges of the rami of the under mandible deep red. I never 

 found more than two eggs laid by the same bird. On July 3d, on a 

 small island where there was no appearance of the birds having been 

 disturbed, the greater number had but just commenced incubating, 

 and none of the eggs were hatched. 



Four eojjis measured : 57 x 36 mill. — 55 x 38 — Six 37 — 58 x 39. 



Uria trollle, Linn. The most common bird on the Labrador coast, 

 — breeding at various points, from the southern extremity of Nova 

 Scotia to the entrance to Hudson's Bay. From the number in which 

 they assemble at their chosen breeding-places, the eggers and fisher- 

 men are enabled to collect their eggs with great ease ; the extent to 

 which these birds are persecuted may be imagined from the fact that, 

 though on the 23d of June young birds were common at Gannet 

 Rock, where they are but little if at all disturbed, up to July 

 20th I saw but one young bird on the Labrador coast. At the Murre 

 Rock, so famous at the time of Audubon's visit for the number of 

 Guillemots breeding there, on the 2d of July not more than a hun- 

 dred eggs could be collected, and apparently not over a thousand 

 birds were breeding on it, probably not a hundredth part of their 

 former numbers. On account of the violence of the sea, I was un- 

 fortunately unable to visit the Foxes, as they are called, a short dis- 

 tance north of the Murre Rocks, and at present said to be their 

 favorite breeding-place. Naumann in his description of the eggs of 

 this bird states that he has never seen an unspotted specimen. I have 

 several in my possession, and it would be strange if in a bird, whose 

 eggs are so extremely varied in their coloration, they should not occa- 

 sionally be found of a uniform color. 



Four eggs measured as follows: 84 x 47 mill. — 74 x 51 — 84 x 

 51 — 78 X 45. 



Uria ringvia, Briinn. As this bird was unfortunately confounded 

 by Audubon with the preceding species, it is at present impossible to 

 ascertain what were its limits or numbers at the time of his visit. 

 There can be little doubt, however, that it was not at all rare on the 

 Labrador shore. None were seen by me at any place, except Gannet 

 Rock, though I think it must breed at other points on the coast. The 

 eggs are said by Naumann to be larger than those of the Foolish 

 Guillemot, and the shell to be smooth, and the spots to be seldom 

 large, &c. The largest Guillemot egg found by me was one of the 

 present species, but in respect to the coloration I notice no particular 

 mark by which they could be distinguished. When at Gannet Rock 

 I unfortunately supposed that I should find this and the succeeding 

 species equally common on the North Shore, and neglected to procure 

 many specimens. The largest and handsomest egg procured is one 



