Se 
THE OREGON 
earth or leaves. 
Throw water over the pen, bait, trap and 
also your foot prints if possible and if all 
this is properly done you can expect to 
catch your Mink the second night after. 
BERNARD J. BRETHERTON. 
WRITTEN FOR THE OREGON NATURALIST? 
WINTER BIRDLIFE IN SOUTHERN 
MASSACHUSETTS 
C .c. PURDUM 
NABURALIST. 85 
birds which although agreeing in certain 
points, differ in many others. Under 
this head then we must first consider the 
Puffins or Parrot Auks (/7a¢ercule) from 
frater, ( Lat. a brother, ) but where the 
features for the conveying of such an ex- 
pression can be found, am at a loss to 
state, unless it be that they hold some 
such family ties withthe Plumbus of our 
own race. Certainly the chief part of a 
Puffin is its bill; and surely no one will 
question th2 liken2ss. However, as to 
the bill, whichis a whole study in itself. 
A distinguished writer, has likened it to a 
mask worn by revellers at a carnival ‘‘be- 
Bill of adult Puffin, (7 e@7tzca.) life size. 
(continued from page 81) 
In considering the interesting family of 
.the Auks (4/czdae) we are confronted bya 
history of more than ordinary interest. 
Not especially from the fact that one of, 
ourextinct giants, the bird ‘who lost the use 
of his wings and perished, from the face 
of the earth in consequence” viz. ‘‘His 
Grace The Great Auk,’”’? and for which 
catastrophe, has had a special genus set 
apart from all others for his exclusive bene- 
fit by that august body the A. O. U., is 
included in the term, but from the fact, 
that under 4/c7tae we have a variety of 
ing as it were put on for the nuptial fes- 
tivities and afterwards removed.”’ The 
length of this ‘‘nuptial mask”’ varies but 
little in length in any of the varieties, 
but showing considerable variations in 
shape. (see cuts) 
Thus the Common Puffin and any one 
of the Auks proper show the greatest de- 
gree of variation. But to return, in all 
the species will be found about as long as 
head, compressed, with a somewhat tri- 
angular profile at base. The ends of both 
mandibles are depressed the upper fitting 
nicely over the lower, and both being of a 
