36 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



breeding habits are very similar to those of the Murre and the 

 eggs are to all purposes indistinguishable, showing equal varia- 

 tion in markings, size, etc. One taken on a shelf of rock at 

 the Magdalen Islands, July 20, 1885, measures 3.00x1.99. 

 The food consists of small fish, mollusks and surface swimming 

 forms of marine life, obtained by surface feeding and diving 

 at both of which the Murres are adept. The call or alarm 

 note is reported to consist of a repetition of the syllables 

 "murre, murre." 



Genue ALCA Linnaeus. 



32. Alca torda Linn. Razor-billed Auk; Razor-bill; 



Tinker Murre; Turre. 



Plumage in summer adults : above black, browner on fore-neck and head ; 

 breast, belly and tips of secondaries white ; white line from eye to bill ; bill 

 black with white line crossing the middle. Adult winter plumage : similar 

 but without white line between eye and bill and the under portion of head 

 and the fore-neck white. Immature plumage : differs chiefly in bill lacking 

 the white line crossing its middle. Downy young : beneath generally white, 

 above brownish or brownish buff. Wing 7.90 to 8.50; culmen 1.25; tarsus 

 1.40. 



Geog. Dist.— Coast and islands of the North Atlantic, breeding on our side 

 from the Magdalen Islands (formerly from Grand Menan) northward; in 

 winter south to Long Island and rarely to North Carolina. 



County Records. — Cumberland ; winter visitor of quite frequent occurrence, 

 (Brown, C. B. P. p. 36). Hancock; winter bird among the outer islands, 

 (Knight). Knox ; winter visitor, (Rackliff ). Sagadahoc ; common in winter, 

 (Spinney). Waldo; very rarely in winter, (Knight). Washington; winter, 

 (Boardman). 



Though this species is not positively known to have ever 

 nested in Maine, there is a dimly verified statement that some 

 fifty years ago or more it nested as far south as the Cranberry 

 Islands. A few are said to have nested near Grand Menan, 

 New Brunswick, as recently as 1897. No nest is made, the 

 eggs being laid in crevices and fissures of rocky cliffs and on 

 shelves of ledges along cliffs. Usually only one egg is laid, 

 but occasionally two are deposited. An egg from Labrador, 



