474 THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOPODES. 



winter. It is found on the western coast of Europe in the winter as far south as the 

 Mediterranean. It is present on the Arctic coast of Asia ; but so far as I am aware 

 has never been taken on the Pacific shores of Asia or America, with the exception of 

 the single Japanese record of Schlegel. 



According to Professor Reinhardt, the Razor-bill is a resident of Greenland. It is 

 also given by Middendorff as being found in the extreme northern portions of Sibe- 

 ria. It was met with on the coast of Spain, as well as on the shores of the Mediter- 

 ranean, by Mr. Saunders, but it was very rare. This is still a not uncommon species 

 at Grand Menan and on other rocky islands in the Bay of Fundy. During the win- 

 ter it wanders down along the Atlantic sea-coast as far as Long Island, where, accord- 

 ing to Giraud, it has been occasionally observed, but is not common. During the 

 winter months an occasional bird of this species is exposed for sale in the Boston 

 and New York markets, but it is nearly valueless for food. 



The Razor-bill is an oceanic bird, having in many of its habits considerable resem- 

 blance to the Divers. It swims and dives with wonderful ease, and feeds upon small 

 fish and crustaceans. In most respects, also, its habits are identical with those of the 

 Guillemots and Mormons. Except during the breeding-season, when congregating in 

 immense numbers on its breeding-grounds, it is generally seen singly. It is said to 

 venture out farther from the shore, and to be able to dive in deeper water to collect 

 its food, than can any of its family. 



Audubon, in his voyage to Labrador, saw the Razor-bill constantly, and observed 

 it fishing on banks where the water was eighteen fathoms deep. From the length of 

 time the bird remained under water he had no doubt that it dived to the bottom and 

 fed there. He was told that these birds arrive at the Madeleine Islands — where 

 many of them breed — about the middle of April, while the Gulf of St. Lawrence is 

 still covered with ice. On his way to Labrador he noticed these birds every now and 

 then passing in long files, and flying, at the height of a few yards above the water, in 

 an undulating manner and witli regular beat of the wing. They often flew within 

 musket-shot of the vessel. 



He afterwards found this bird breeding in immense numbers on a small rocky island 

 in the harbor of Wapatiguan, in deep and narrow fissures of the rocks. In order to 

 reach both the birds and their eggs, long poles, with hooks at their extremities, were 

 made use of. In a small horizontal cavern about two feet in height, where many 

 were nesting, he found their eggs scattered at the distance of a few inches from each 

 other ; and where they were in fissures of the rock, they lay close together, small 

 pebbles and broken stones being heaped up to the height of several inches so as to 

 allow the water to flow off beneath them. In such localities this Auk sits flat upon 

 its egg, in the manner of a Duck. When the single egg is deposited on an exposed 

 rock, each bird stands almost upright upon it. Audubon also states that in several 

 instances, where the parent bird was in a sheltered situation, he found her sitting 

 on two eggs. It is, however, probable that in such cases the eggs were the product of 

 different birds nesting near each other. He also states that these birds begin early in 

 May to deposit their eggs ; but as their period of incubation is four weeks, and as it 

 was not until July that he found any young birds, all of which were yet small, it is 

 probable he named too early a period for the beginning of the time of incubation. 

 The young have tender unformed bills, are covered with down, and have a lisping 

 note. Their parents supplied them plentifully with shrimps and small bits of fish. 

 They were on good terms one with the other, and did not quarrel, as do the Puflins. 

 When a finger was placed within their reach, they seized hold of it with their bills, 

 showing thus early their desire to bite, so characteristic of their parents when these 



