Vol. XXI 

 1904 



I Ditcher, Report of ConunUtre ou Bird Protection. 161 



and probably in social enjoyment before leaving for the fishing 

 grounds. They were more restless than Sea Pigeons and moved 

 about with an awkward walk, and frequently flapped their wings. 

 On leaving they went away from the island entirely, and for the 

 next three hours, had one arrived here only two or three would 

 have been observed. 



"After the time mentioned one came from the sea and circled 

 about, then another and another, until ten were circling. In this 

 flight they passed over their nests and then circled towards the sea, 

 which limited the outer edge of the circle, then returning to repass 

 the nest, thus describing a perfect circle or, as Dr. Coues expressed 

 it. a 'wheel'. But frequently they took a course across the center 

 of the wheel, and described a letter S. Often as they passed over 

 the nest they uttered a deep sound, which though in several sylla- 

 bles had a resemblance to a groan issuing from the chest. I could 

 not determine whether each bird held several small fish in its bill, 

 or a squid with dangling arms. From the direction they came, the 

 northward, it would indicate that their feeding ground was in the 

 direction of Grand Manan channel and the course of the several I 

 have seen at sea supports the indication. 



"Upon alighting they hurried without delay into the wall of 

 rocks, often two or three into the same opening, and with little 

 pause they reappeared and put out to sea. Hardly had these dis- 

 appeared when another party returned, and so onward ; they did 

 not arrive in these compact groups, but came singly and in pairs, 

 and being delayed by our proximity, gathered into flocks. 



"Common and Arctic Terns evidently were the only terns 

 breeding here, and this year I did not see even the Sterna port- 

 landica phase of the latter. These birds occupy the entire island 

 for breeding, but have decreased since my last visit. Those 

 remaining were quite tame, and no dead ones were seen to indi- 

 cate shooting. The lightkeeper keeps a dog and a cat, and I wns 

 told that the dog ate many eggs and the cat caught quite a num- 

 ber of birds. The wife of the assistant keeper told me that they 

 had killed their cat, owing to its destructiveness to the birds. I 

 asked the value of the dog, suggesting that we would be glad to 

 have it off the island. His answer was evasive, but he said he 

 would make provision to send it ashore. Owing to the lateness of 



