JJauDoni JloteB on Jlatural Ibtort), 



Vol. III. 



PROVIDENCE, MARCH 1, 1886. 



No. 3. 



Entered, at the Providence Post-Offiee as Second-Class Matter. 



^I^Hubom !f 0t0s on If atiiral l|iston|, 



A Monthly Devoted to the Distribution of Use- 

 ful Knowledge Concerning the Various De- 

 partments OF Zoology, Mineralogy, and 

 Botany. 50 Cents a Year- 

 Address all communications to 



SOUTHWICK & JENCKS, 

 258 Westminster St., Providence, R. I., U.S. A. 



Through the politeness of the author 

 we are in receipt of the Bulletin of the United 

 States National Musenm, 29. " Results of, 

 Ornithological Explorations in the Comman- 

 der Islands and Kamtschatka." B3' Leon- 

 hard Stejneger. 



We have never studied a similar report 

 with more interest and satisfaction. As a 

 collector and observer the author has been 

 indefatigable, reporting with exactness, in 

 the species described, the fresh colors of 

 bills, irides and feet, about which the dried 

 skins available to most of us can give no 

 idea. Beside the absolutely scientific in- 

 formation, there is much of general interest. 

 We have taken the liberty to reprint else- 

 where a portion of the article on the Tufted 



Puffin, Lunda cirrhata. 



/ 



/ While collecting this last season in an 

 old ravine almost impassable from fallen 

 rocks and the wild rose, a Rock Wren, 

 Salpinctes obsoletus, flew out of a hole in 

 the bank which was nearl}' perpendicular. 

 Upon scrambling up to it I discovered as 

 beautiful a piece of bird architecture as it 

 was ever my fortune to behold. The nest, 

 which was in the hole, contained four young 

 and one egg. On the outside the sand was 

 levelled off so as to form a shelf about a 

 foot in diameter. It was nicel}' levelled 

 off and paved with small flat stones about 

 the size of an old cent, laid to fit one an- 

 other in a wonderfully artistic manner, re- 

 minding one of the map puzzle with which 

 we were all familiar in our boyhood. I 

 have discovered one nest before, and that 

 was situated in a similar position, but had 

 no such outside decorations. / 



Wm. G. Smith. / 



The Stone Chat. Saxicola cenanthe, No. 

 21 of the Ridgeway list, is the Wheatear 

 of Europe, and net the Stone Chat, Pra- 

 tincola rubicola. 



The European Titlark, Anthns praten- 

 sis, No. 72, is the Meadow Pipit, and this 

 name should be adopted here as they have 

 another Titlark, the Tree Pipit. 



The Yellow Wagtail, Badytes flami. No. 

 70, is their Grayheaded Wagtail. 



F. T. J. 



"Toporok" Tufted Puffin. 



(lunda cirrhata) pall. 



From U. S. N. M. Bulletin, No. 29. 



[Kesultsof Ornithological Explorations in the Com- 

 mander Islands, and Kamtsohatka. liy Leonhard Stej- 

 neger.) 



The "■ Toporoh'"' (plur. "' Toporki""), 

 together with the ' ' Are " ( llria arra ) , 

 is the most numerous of the many species 

 of the Akidce on the islands, and as both 

 are also the largest in size, they become of 

 eminent importance to the natives as 

 sources of fresh meat. This is especially 

 the case on Copper Island, the area of 

 which is more limited, and where the inhabi- 

 tants have fewer facilities for preserving 

 the meat of the fur-seals slaughtered during 

 the short season of the summer. To them, 

 the adults, young, and eggs are the most 

 welcome additions to their bill of fare, and, 

 indeed, I myself was very often gratified by 

 a good meal of fried ''Toporki," for the 

 meat, although very dark, is by no means 

 distasteful. I remember occasions when I 

 thought I had never eaten anything better, 

 when fur-seal-tongues and toporok-breasts 

 were esteemed higher than deer-tongues 

 and goose-breasts are to-day. 



But it is not only for food that these birds 

 are used. The skins are carefully' fla^'ed off, 

 and made into wide and long, very warm 

 and nice garments, the so-called "pa?-fca," 

 with the feathers turned inside. About 

 fifty skins are required for one " parka." 

 In order to remove the fat from the skins, 

 they are chewed over and over again by the 



