20 MVRRE. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 E<;ijs. placed on shelves of rod y cliffs, one in number, pyriforin in sliape, varying from white, through blue, to green 

 in color, spotted and blotched with dark-bnnvn and umber. Dimensions from 1-75 x ^'90 to 2-15x3'50. 



IIAIUTS. 



I (lid not find (he Murres on ;iny of the Magdalen Islands, excepting Bird Rock, but 

 they were remarkably ubundtint there, thousands nesting on the rocky shelves, sitting side 

 by side on the narrow ptinipets, ami, although often crowded together, never making the 

 least attempt to quarrel. When we descende(l the cliffs and sipproached the ledges on 

 which the Murres were nesting, they would crowd together or press against the wall be- 

 hind thera; as we went nearer, the birds would bow the head forwtird until the bill almost 

 touched the surftice upon which Ihey stood, and utter a curious, guttenil note which sound- 

 ed almost exactly like the syllable murre. This Dporatiuu was repeated frequently, until 

 at last the males would lly, letiA iiig the females with the eggs or young. When we were 

 within a few feet of them, the poor birds would turn their heads right and left, open their 

 mouths to pant for breath, shrink tis f;ir from us as they could without exposing their charges, 

 in fact, evincing by every movement, extreme fear. If taken in the hand, they never at- 

 tempted to defend themselves, but simply gazed tit us piteously with tlieir beautiful, almond 

 shaped eyes, or cast imploring glances at their helpless charge left unprotected. The Murres 

 migrate southward in November and I have seen them off the cotist of Northern Florida,. 



My readers will natundly wonder how we succeeded in getting awtiy from this lonely 

 islet, for we had not been on the Rock more than forty-eight hours, when, having collect- 

 ed quite a supply of birds tinil ei;'gs, we bectimo tinxious to leave, that we might take prop- 

 er care of our specimens. We therefore asked the light-keeper what sign.ils he used when 

 he wanted assistance from vessels. lie replied, that he raised the British flag at half-mast. 

 Thus we kept this signal flying whenever it was possible for a boat to land, but it was not 

 until the ninth day, thtit we perceived signs on tiny of the fishing vessels, which indicated 

 that they h;ul observed our call for aid. On this d;iy there had been a slight breeze from 

 the west, bringing several snndl schooners down from Brj'on. We waited patiently until one 

 of the vessels came within hailing distance, when with the flag still half-mast, we gtithered 

 together on that side of the rock and discharged our guns sinuilttuieously, at the stime time 

 displaying ii red flag. All this, at last, produced the desired eiTect and they came to anch- 

 or. A boat was lowered, and after some delay, we boarded the vessel with our speci- 

 mens. We did not leave the locality, however, until nearly night, and the last view I had 

 of the island, was by the light of the setting sun, when the huge, rocky bastion stood out 

 in strong relief against the western sky, with a circling coronet of Gannets over it, form- 

 ing a picture which will never be eifaced from my memory. 



