NOTES ON THE BIRDS OBSERVED DURING THE CRUISE OF THE 

 UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION SCHOONER GRAMPUS IN 

 THE SUMMER OF 1887. 



KY 



William Palmer, 



Taxidei-misl U. S. Na'ionnl Museum. 



At the request of Professor Baird, I accompanied the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission schooner Grampus on her summer cruise in 1887 for the pur- 

 pose of observing and collecting the fish-eating birds, together with 

 their eggs and young. 



In the following pages I have treated each species briefly, giving only 

 the results of our own observations. As all on board were interested in 

 the matter, and frequently called my attention to birds seen by them, I 

 believe the list contains all the species that came within a reasonable 

 distance of the vessel. 



One might naturally think that on a cruise of this character sea-birds 

 would be found to be generally numerous, but such was not the case. 

 With few exceptions, and these maudy on breeding islands, birds w^ere 

 very scarce, most of Ihe many species having completed their migrations, 

 and being in the far north or inland. 



As to the relative abundance of the species, I would place the most 

 prominent in the following order: Puffins, Shearwaters, Black Hagdons, 

 Murres, and Gannets, Good skins were made of the greater number of 

 the species, and in many cases, also, eggs, embryos, and young in var- 

 ious degrees of plumage, were obtained. 



The localities visited were as follows: The Magdalen Islands and 

 Bird Pocks, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; St. John's; Funk Island; 

 Seldom Come By; Cape Freels Penguin Islands; Toulinguet and 

 Canada Bay, in Newfoundland ; Black Bay and Mingan Islands; south- 

 ern Labrador, and Perce, Canada. 



The time covered was from July 8 to August 31. 



A.— AQUATIC BIRDS. 

 1. Urinator imber (Gnnu.). Loon. 



One seen in Canada Bay, and several others near the Mingan Islands, 

 were the only ones met with. 



Proceoding.s Uuiti-.il Stiitca Natioual Museum, Vol. XIII— No. 819. 



249 



