488 THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOPODES. 



Dr. Walker, in the Voyage of the " Fox," mentions finding this species in thou- 

 sands on the coast of Greenland, and Professor Bernhardt gives it as a common 

 resident species of that island. Professor Newton found this the most common, with 

 perhaps one exception, of the birds of Spitzbergen. Dr. Malmgren regarded it as 

 altogether the most numerous, even more so than the Mergulus alio (= Alia nigricans). 

 It was breeding as far to the north as Walden Island, in lat. 80° 38' N. Its food, 

 according to Professor Newton, is chiefly crustaceans ; and according to the observa- 

 tions of Professor Malrngren, it also lives a good deal on fish. By the end of August 

 all the breeding-places on the north coast had been deserted, and about the same 

 time the birds that had previously thronged the Alkenhorn in such countless numbers 

 were rapidly quitting it. Eastward of the South Cape he did not meet with this 

 species at all. It is given by Middendorff as one of the birds of Siberia, occurring 

 in the most northern portions, on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Mr. Gillett met 

 with it on Nova Zembla, where it was abundant along the coast, breeding in all the 

 cliffs. Von Heuglin in his subsequent visit to the same region makes a very similar 

 statement. 



In winter this bird is quite common along the entire New England coast, and is 

 especially abundant in the lower portions of the Bay of Fundy, where a few still 

 breed every summer. Dr. Henry Bryant found it breeding abundantly on Gannet 

 Bock, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and only a little inferior in numbers to the troile. 

 He noticed nothing peculiar in the habits of this species differing from what is 

 already known in reference to the genus. He states that though the shape of the 

 eggs of this species is generally more ovate than that of the troile or ringvia, he 

 was not able to find any character by which they can be with certainty distinguished. 

 Their maximum length he gives as 3.11 inches, their minimum 2.75 ; their breadth 

 varying from 1.77 to 1.89. 



According to Mr. W. Thompson, this species is found, and probably breeds, on the 

 coast of Kerry, Ireland. Sir James C. Boss met with it at Uist, the most northern 

 of the Shetland Islands, and in several parts of Scotland ; and Macgillivray received 

 specimens from the Orkneys. A single accidental specimen is recorded as having 

 been taken near Naples, where it is still preserved. 



Mr. Proctor found this bird breeding in great abundance on the Island of Grimsey, 

 north of Iceland, where it was the most numerous of the Uria; and where it is known 

 to the inhabitants by the name of Stutnefia. 



Mr. Kumlien mentions large breeding-places of this bird about Capes Mercy and 

 Walsingham, and on the islands in Exeter Sound. They are also very abundant on 

 the Greenland coast, breeding by thousands in many localities. 



In the winter it usually keeps well off the coast, but is occasionally forced into 

 the bays by violent or long-continued easterly winds. It becomes confused by heavy 

 falls of snow, and in its attempts to escape by flight loses its way, and is driven 

 inward upon the land, where it perishes with cold. I received one in 1839 that had 

 been picked up in a field in Hingham Centre. It was uninjured, and no other cause 

 could be assigned for its death than cold. 



Eggs of this species in the Smithsonian collection are from Gannet Bock in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Arctic coast, and the Prybilof Islands. The ground-color 

 of these eggs varies remarkably, some being white, others of a deep buff, a bright 

 grass-green, a pale blue, a deep blue, intermediate tints of blue, etc. The markings 

 of some are in lines, others in blotches and spots varying from a light umber-brown 

 to a dee]) black. Four eggs selected as typical of their varying size and shape 

 measure : 3.10 by L.95 inches ; 3.30 by 1.95 ; 3.05 by 2.05 ; 3.00 by 1.90. 



