60 AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS. 



breeding in North America from New Brunswick and Manitoba northward, 

 and migrating irregularly southward as far as South Carolina. 



Washington, rare W. V. Long Island, common T. V., rare W. V., Oct. to 

 May. Sing Sing, casual T. V. Cambridge, one instance, Oct. 



Nest^ a slight depression in the ground within a few feet of the water. 

 Eggs, two, grayish olive-brown, sometimes tinged with green and spotted 

 with blackish, 2-80 x 1-75. 



This is a more northern species than Urinator imber, which it doubt- 

 less closely resembles in habits. 



Family Alcid^. Auks, Murres, and Puffins. 



This family contains about thirty species, confined entirely to the 

 northern parts of the northern hemisphere. Nearly all of these are 

 found in North America, most of them, however, on only our Pacific 

 coast. Without exception they are maritime birds, passing the greater 

 part of their lives on the open sea. They nest in colonies, sometimes 

 in enormous numbers, generally upon rocky, precipitous shores. Their 

 progress on land is slow and awkward ; but they are, as a rule, strong 

 fliers, and accomplished swimmers and divers. Unlike the Grebes and 

 Loons they use their wings in diving. Their food consists of fish, 

 Crustacea, and other forms of sea life. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



I. Bill under -75 34. Dovekie. 



11. Bill over -75. 



1. Depth of bill at nostril over -60. 



a. Bill yellowish, depth at nostril over 1-00. 



13. Puffin. 13a. Large-billed Puffin. 

 J. Bill black, depth at nostril under 1-00 . . 32. Razor-billed Auk. 



2. Depth of bill at nostril under -60. 



A. Wing-coverts white or tipped with white. 



a. Greater wing-coverts entirely white . 28. Mandt's Guillemot, 

 h. Basal half of greater wing-coverts black. 27. Black Guillemot. 



B. No white on wing-coverts. 



a. Bill over 1-60 30. Murre. 



h. Bill under 1*60 31. BRtJNNicii's Murre. 



• 

 13. Fratercula arctica {Linn.). Puffin ; Sea Parrot (see Fig. 5, c). 

 Ad. — Upper parts, wings, tail, and foreneck blackish, browner on the head 

 and foreneck ; nape with a narrow grayish collar ; sides of the head and throat 

 white, sometimes washed with grayish ; breast and belly white. (Breeding 

 birds have the bill larger and brighter, and a horny spine over the eye.) L., 

 13-00; W., 6-10; Tar., 1-05; B., 1-85; depth of B. at base (in winter), 1-50. 



Range. — " Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, breeding on the North 

 American coast from the Bay of Fundy northward" (A. O. U.). Migrates 

 southward in winter, rarely to Long Island. 



