3C^ NOTES ON THE KURIL ISLANDS. 



pairs ; seldom seen south of the Black Brothers. Though not 

 uncommon on the central and northern islands, they are nowhere 

 numerous. The egg is like that of the tufted puffin, and its habits 

 are similar. 



(4) Phaleris cristatella, crested auk. 



(5) Phaleris mystacea, whiskered auk. Large numbers of 

 both these auks on all the islands to the northward of Urup. 

 They arrive towards the end of April. Lay one pure white egg, 

 beneath boulders and coarse shingle, and in crevices of the rocks 

 and cliffs, preferring situations not much above high-water line. 

 They commence to lay about the middle of June. 



(5^) Phaleris iisittacula, parrot auk. Found on the central and 

 northern islands, generally in pairs. 



(6) Phaleris 2:)i«/siWa, least auk. This bird I have some 

 doubts about, and think the specimens attributed to this species are 

 immature P. mystacea. 



(8) Braehyrhamphus antiquus, grey-headed auk. Found all 

 along the Kurils ; always seen in small flocks of eight or nine, 



(9) Brachyrhami^hiis kittlitzi, Kittlitz guillemot. 



(10) Uria carho, sooty guillemot. 



(10 1) Uria columba, pigeon guillemot. This bird is very 

 common on all the islands. Lays one speckled egg under rocks 

 and boulders on the beaches, about the middle of June. 



(*) Uria onarmorata, marbled guillemot. Is not common. 

 A very shy bird, and somewhat difficult to obtain, as it usually 

 dives at the flash of a gun, and will, if wounded, remain under 

 water and die there. 



(11) Uria troile, common guillemot. 



(12) Uria brilnnichi, Brunnich's guillemot. Plentiful all along 

 the islands. These birds arrive about the end of April, and leave 

 towards the end of September. About June 8 they commence 

 to lay, but their eggs are not plentiful until the middle of the 

 month. The single egg is laid on the bare ledges of cliffs and rocks. 

 The eggs are pyriform in shape, and exceedingly fancifully coloured, 

 the grounds being green, blue, yellow, white, grey, etc., with brown 

 and black specks and blotches. No two eggs appear to be alike. 

 They are particularly good eating, the flavour being not unlike the 

 eggs of the plover. 



Mr. Elliot, in his " Ornithological Notes of the Pribilov Islands," 



