Birds of Indiana. 565 



Eange.— ''Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and Eastern Arc- 

 tic oceans; south to the lakes of northern New York and the coast of 

 New Jersey." (A. 0. U.) Accidental west to Michigan and Indiana 

 and south to South Carolina. Breeds from the Gulf of St. Lawrence 



northward. 



Nest, in communities on inaccessible cliffs. Egg, one, pear shaped 

 white, greenish, brownish or yellowish, plain or marked with blotches, 

 or zigzag markings of brown and black. 



While at Indianapolis the last week in December, 1896, Prof. W. S. 

 Blatchley, State Geologist of Indiana, told me of a strange bird that 

 had been taken near there. His information was it was some sort of 

 a Guillemot. I learned it had been sent for mounting to Mr. J. E. 

 Beasley, at Lebanon, Indiana, and that the same taxidermist had 

 received others. Upon my return home I found a letter from my 

 friend, Mr. Kuthven Deane, informing me that Mr. F. M. Woodruff, 

 of the Chicago Academy of Science, had received a Murre from Indi- 

 ana. A few days later this information was supplemented by a letter 

 from Mr. Woodruff informing me that the specimen was TJria lomvia. 

 In looking over my accumulated mail I found a report from Mr. 

 A. W. Hamilton, Zanesville, Indiana, of the capture of a specimen 

 near there. Prof. E. S. Moseley wrote me of the capture of four speci- 

 mens near Sandusky, Ohio, and Mr. J. E. Beasley, in a note, said he 

 had received four specimens. Thus the total number of records 

 received in a few days was ten. I give herewith data concerning the 

 specimens. 



The first specimen mentioned above was brought to Mr. F. M. Noe, 

 a dealer in natural history specimens, of Indianapolis, December 17, 

 1896, by a boy who told him that it had been taken alive the preceding 

 Sunday, December 13, near Schofield's old mill, on Fall Creek, about 

 seven miles north of that city. The specimen is now in the collection^ 

 in the State Geologist's office at the capitol. The specimen reported 

 by Mr. Hamilton was taken by Mr. J. W. Roe, of Zanesville, Indiana, 

 in the northern part of Wells County, December 18, 1896. It was first 

 observed slowly moving about in an open field and was shot at long 

 range. This specimen is in my collection. 



On December 28 Mr. J. E. Beasley wrote me that he had in his 

 possession four of these birds from four different Indiana localities. 

 One was the specimen sent by Mr. Noe. Another was brought to him 

 alive by Mr. David Johnson, from Hazelrigg, Boone County, Decem- 

 ber 18. Mr. A. W. Beck, of Hazelrigg, informs me that it was cap- 

 tured alive about December 15. Mr. Johnson was driving along the 

 road near that town and saw the bird in a field near by. He caught 



