252 NOTES ON BIRDS PALMER. 



5. Uria riiigvia JJiiiun. Kin 



I took a single specimen of this doubtful species at tbe Bird Kocks. 

 Upon comparison with the other murres taken the same day, I noticed 

 that it differed liot only in having the white feathers around the eye, but 

 also in its feet, which were much smaller and less strongly colored. At 

 the time, I wrote in my note-book that the " ringvia differs from the com- 

 mon murre in having a white ring around the eye and a white line 

 extending from it backwards ; also in having smaller feet with a very 

 faint tinge of color on the scales of the toes between the joints,' which 

 is very strongly marked in the common murre and U. lomviaJ^ 



6. Uria lonivia (Linn.). lininnicli'.s Miirrc. 



Very abundant at the larger Bird liock. A young bird taken while 

 approaching Canada Bay was the only one of this species seen else- 

 where. 



7. Alca torda Linn. Razor-billed Auk. 



Most abundant at the Bird Eocks. At Funk Island they were far 

 from common, and, with the murres, laid their eggs in crevices and 

 under rocks that were only accessible with much trouble and difticulty. 



It is easy to imagine what must have been the abundance of these 

 birds in former years on this lonely, almost inaccessible ocean island. 

 Great auks, murres, razor-bills, puffins, Arctic terns, gannets, and 

 perhaps other species undoubtedly swarmed, each species having its 

 own nesting ground, and never molested except by an occasional visit 

 from the now extinct Newfoundland red man ; but now, since the 

 white fisherman began to plunder this, to them, fond and feather giv- 

 ing rock, how changed : To-day, but for the Arctic terns (which are use- 

 less for food or feathers) and the puffins (which are in most cases impos- 

 sible to dig out), the island may be said to be deserted by birds. Only 

 bones of the great auk, a few murres, still fewer razor bills, and a few 

 birds of other species are all that now breed on the island. Sixteen bar- 

 rels of murre and razor-bill eggs have been known to be gathered at 

 one lime, and taken to St. John's. On July 23 and 24, aside from 

 those of the Arctic tern, we did not see a dozen eggs. 



8. Plautus impennis (Linn). Great Auk. 



This bird can hardly be left out, esptcially as its remains was one of 

 the" objects and a skin one of the ho])es of the cruise. The bird is 

 almost beyond doubt extinct. At Twilliugate we heard of a man who 

 had said he had seen a bird within two years past, but as he was away 

 at the Labrador, fishing, and nothing definite could be learned of the 

 locality, it was not deemed advisable to waste time in following what 

 was probably a mistaken identification. The fate of the great auk is 



