BIRDS OF THE OPEN SEA 3) 
divers and swimmers under water, and voracious in their 
pursuit of small fry. Unlike marbled murrelets they did 
not seek safety in flight when pursued. Neither did they 
dive as soon or remain as long under water when keeping 
out of the way of the boat. If a whitecap developed 
near them they would always escape it by diving. That 
this little Auk leaves its summer home in the land of ice- 
bergs and comes south in considerable numbers in winter 
to California has not been generally known to ornithol- 
ogists.” 
In April it starts north again, and by May 20 has 
reached the breeding ground in Alaska. Here it selects 
a nesting place, either a deep crevice in the rock, the 
abandoned burrow of a rabbit, or under the heavily 
matted grass. Under the grass it burrows its way for 
two or three feet, and there scratches out a small cavity, 
lining it carefully with dry grass from the outside. Here 
two buff eggs are laid. These are brooded by one bird 
during the day, while the other feeds out at sea. At 
night they change places. The only account of their 
nesting habits has been given by Mr. Littlejohn, who 
spent some time with them on an Alaskan island. He 
describes the squeaky noises made by the nocturnal birds, 
murrelets, auklets, and petrels, as effectually banishing 
sleep. “As if not satisfied with the constant babble of 
their neighbors, the murrelets took especial delight in 
alighting at the foot of the A-shaped tent, toe-nailing 
it up to the ridgepole, resting there a moment, and then 
sliding down the other side.” 
