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THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



Vol. III. Portland, Oregon, May, 1896. No. 5 



KADIAK ISLAND SynthliboramphuB antiquus 



— ANCIENT MURRELET. 



A CONTRIBUTION TO THE AVIFAUNA a common but not plentiful resident 



OF ALASKA. shunning the neighborhood of settlements 



Cyclorrhynchus paittaculus. except when driven in by stress of weather. 



PAROQUET AUKLET. This species undoubtedly breeds in the 



Mr. Wm. J. Fisher informed the writer \sVMd but no nests were found, 



that this species is occasionally met with, Brachyramphus marmoratus. 



but it was not the writer's fortune to ob- MARBLED MURRELET. 



tain a specimen. Only two specimens of this species 



■Simorhyncl.uB ctistatellus ^^^g obtained and nothing of their habits 



CRESTED AUKLET. ^y^s ascertained. A few are said to breed 



A breeding resident more numerous in q^ t^e island, 



winter than in summer. Cepphus columba 



These',quaint little birds are locally known PIGEON GUILLEMOT, 



as Sea Quail, their chief breeding ground a summer migrant but numbers of the 



lays off the south end of Kadiak Island young of the year remain through the 



and the writer was not able to visit them, first winter. 



They are very numerous all round the These birds arrived at the island about 

 coast;duringthe winter gathering in large the last week in March in bands of from 

 flocks in the small sheltered bays. Like ten to thirty individuals and at once resort 

 everthing else with feathers on they con- to the localities frequented in former 

 stitute an item in the diet of the natives, seasons. They are by far the commonest 

 The eyes of all specimens taken had a sea bird on the island in summer; nesting 

 white V shaped iris. in evei^ headland and small island along 

 Simorhynchus pusillus the coast and their low toned but pene- 

 LEAST AUKLET. trating whistle may be heard almost in- 

 Reported by Mr. Wm.' J. Fisher. Not cessantly. 

 met with by the writer. They choose for their nesting site a 



