[25] SEA BIRDS AS BAIT FOR CATCHING CODFISH, 335 



quereau, eiiist of Sable Island. The flocks reach this locality iu April, 

 and from the 20th of that month to the middle of May are more numor- 

 ous, as a rule, than at any other time. April 36, 1879, latitude 44° 32' N., 

 longitude 57° 12' W., I "saw several flocks of murres," and three days 

 later there were " large uumbers of murres." 



A single individual is. sometimes seen in summer on the banks, but 

 this is by no means a common occurrence. In the fall, however, they are 

 more numerous, as at this season they are performing their autumnal 

 migration southwardly, but, whatever the reason may be, they do not, 

 I believe, appear on the banks in such abundance at this season as dur- 

 ing the spring months. Thej' are sometimes killed and eaten by the 

 fishermen, but are never obtained in any considerable numbers. On a 

 few occasions I have shot one or two individuals, and they are some 

 times knocked over with an oar by the men engaged in hauling a trawl, 

 when the murres have approached closely enough to the boat to make 

 such a feat possible. I have noted in my journal under date of October 

 1, 1878, latitude 43° 54' N., longitude 58© 32' W., that "one of the crew 

 killed a murre while hauling his trawl, and I skinned it." 



Little guillemot or sea dove {Mergulus alle) Linn. 



The little guillemot, commonly called "Ice bird" by the fishermen, 

 is frequently seen on the banks iu winter, more particularly in the vi- 

 cinity of field ice, but I have never observed it in any considerable num- 

 bers. It is fond of staying close to a fishing- vessel at anchor, it being 

 attracted by the ofi'al that is thrown over, and whic'i, when sinking, is 

 secured and eaten by the little guillemot, which is an expert diver. I 

 have often watched one of these birds dive beneath a schooner and tak- 

 ing in its beak a morsel of sinking food, rise on the opposite side of the 

 vessel from that where it went down. It is seemingly almost uncon- 

 scious that it is encountering danger when approaching a vessel or boat. 

 1 have seen it swimming within 2 feet of a schooner's side without 

 making an efltbrt to go farther ofl' unless some one attempted to kill it. 



