THE PIGEON GUILLEMOT. 923 
General Range.—Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, southward from 
Bering Strait to northern Japan, and the Santa Barbara Islands, California. 
Range in Washington.—Common resident thruout the length and breadth of 
Puget Sound and adjacent waters; much less common resident on the Olympiades. 
Authorities.—Uria columba (Pall.), Cass., Cassin (Baird), Rep. Pac. R. R. 
Surv XG pty Wa Trs58- pore: dy C&se Rhy hk Be B, 
Specimens.—(U. of W.) P. Prov. B. BN. E. 
UNQUESTIONABLY the most characteristic water bird of the Puget 
Sound region is this Pigeon Guillemot, or “Sea Pigeon,” as it is commonly 
called. It shares the latter name with the Bonaparte Gull (Larus phila- 
delphia), tho the significance of it is different. The gulls are dove-like in 
posture (at least a-wing) and 
in their manner of flocking; 
while the Guillemot owes the 
name both to its plumpness 
and to its very unsophisti- 
cated, not to say stupid, ap- 
pearance. 
The Guillemot is most in 
evidence in nesting time; and 
it enjoys a more uniform dis- 
tribution at this season than 
in winter, when there are no 
local ties to bind it to a giver 
stretch of water. The im- 
pression of scarcity during 
winter is strengthened by the 
fact that at this season the 
birds frequent the more open 
waters, where they avoid 
close approach, whether by 
row-boat or steamer; and 
that they present a_ totally 
different appearance. In win- 
ter they are clad for the most 
part ina suit of spectral gray, 
which resolves itself, only up- 
on close examination, into a 
definite pattern, or mixture, 
of black and white. This 
plumage is taken on in September, but is exchanged for the solid nuptial 
black (with white wing patches) early in the spring,—not infrequently by the 
middle of February, and occasionally by the 20th of January. 
A SILHOUETTE. 
