CRUISE OF THE STEAMER GORWIN, 31 



On the 10th of June I went to Otter Island in compliance with your instructions, for the pur- 

 pose of protecting that phice from marauders. 



While there I made a collection of specimens for the Smithsonian Institution, in obedience to 

 your verbal orders. The collection, which is marked "Coll. J. E. L., U. S. S. Gorwin," is herewith 

 transmitted. The following is a list of the specimens, corresponding to the numbers they bear: 



No. 1. Nest and set of five eggs of Gray eared Finch (Leucosticte tephrocotis var. griseinuche), 

 taken June 16. 



No. 2. Nest and set of five eggs of Snow Bunting {Plectrophanes nivalis), June 15. 



No. 3. Eggs of Pacific Kittiwake {Larus tridacti/lus var. Kotzebui), June 21. 



No. 4. Egg of Short-bdled Kittiwake (Larus brevirosfris), June 29. 



No. 5. Three eggs of Red-faced Cormorant [Glaculus bicristatus), August 5. 



No. 6. Egg and nest of Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata), June 19. 



Nos. 7 and 8. Eggs of same, June 20. 



No. 9. Egg of same, June 24. 



No. 10. Egg of same, June 26. 



No. 11. Egg of same, July 30. 



No. 12. Egg of Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata), June 24. 



No. 13. Egg of same, June 27. 



No. 14. Egg of Parroquet Auk (Fhaleris psittacula], June 20. 



No. 15. Egg of same, June 23. 



No. 10. Egg of Crested Auk (Simorhynchtis crisiatellus), June 20. 



No. 17. Egg of same, June 20. 



No. 18. Egg of same, June 22. 



No. 19. Egg of Knob-billed Auk ((S*. pusillus), June 14. 



No. 20. Egg of same, June 14. 



No. 21. Egg of same, June 17. 



No. 22. Egg of Murre GiuUemot (Lomvia iroile), June 13. 



No. 23. Egg of same, June 18. 



No. 24. Egg of Thick billed GiuUemot (Lomvia arra), June 13. 



No. 25. Egg of same, June 13. 



No. 26. Egg of same, June 30. 



No. 27. Chick of Parroquet Auk (Fhaleris psittacula). 



Nos. 28 and 29. Chicks of same. 



No. 30. Chicks of Crested Auk (Siniorhynchus cristatellus.) 



Nos. 31, 32, and 33. Chicks of same. 



Although Otter Island is visited by myriads of birds, the number of species is very small, 

 embracing not more than twenty-five, which includes migratory fiocks and stragglers. It is an 

 excellent place for studying the habits of such birds as breed there, and any question in regard to 

 them could be satisfactorily answered by observation. 



Some of the eggs in this collection are rare among naturalists, by reason of the inaccessible 

 nature of the nests. More of the same kind could be obtained in that place by any one possessed 

 of a little experience in scaling the face of cliffs and a knowledge of the habits of the birds found 

 there. I secured a number of chicks of Frater corniculata and F. cirrhafa, as well as of the 

 Fhaleris psittacula and Simorhynchus cristatellus, but, with the exception of the accompanying 

 specimens, all spoiled for want of proper facilities for drying the skins. These are exceedingly 

 rare, probably altogether unknown. 



All of the birds which came under my observation were remarkably persevering in their 

 efforts to propagate their species, and all would lay fresh eggs to replace those which had been 

 removed. In July I removed from the nest of a gray-eared finch the half-fledged young brood. 

 The mother laid five eggs within a week, and I then removed them, as well as the nest. There- 

 upon she built a new nest and deposited two more sets of eggs. Not until the last was taken 

 away did she desert the place. The guillemot's eggs were to be found on outlying rocks as early 

 as June 10, and were replaced as fast as removed until the first of August. Even that shy bird, 

 the horned puffin, would lay a second egg upon the first being abstracted, and when the female 



