296 Willett, Birds of Forrester Island. [july 



exceedingly moist at all times, the rain fall probably closely ap- 

 proaching 100 inches annually. During the past summer there 

 were only occasionally days of good weather, the major part of the 

 season being rainy or windy, frequently both. 



There was a camp of several hundred fishermen on the island. 

 They were engaged in trolling for king salmon which were generally 

 abundant. 



The following is an annotated list of birds observed. 



Gavia sp.? — Loons were noted at a distance several times during the 

 summer, but I was never able to approach them closely enough to be posi- 

 tive as to the species. The Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) was common in 

 the channel west of Prince of Wales Island, May 22, evidently on the 

 northward migration. 



Lunda cirrhata. Tufted Puffin. — The most abundant of the 

 Alcida?. Estimated numbers, 35,000 pairs. This species began to deposit 

 the eggs about the second week in June. The principal colonies are on the 

 west side of the main island, on Petrel Island and on Cape Horn Rocks. 



The fishermen detest these birds because of their penchant for stealing 

 the herring that is used as bait in trolling for salmon. After the fisherman 

 has placed a fresh herring on the hook and lets the fine out to trolling dis- 

 tance, the puffin will dive and neatly remove the bait from the hook. I 

 have seen this done when the bird was forced to go down at least fifteen 

 fathoms. Apparently a puffin will attach itself to a particular trolling 

 boat and will follow it for hours. The fishermen attribute to the bird a 

 surprising amount of cunning. One Norwegian assured me solemnly that 

 the parrot would rise up on the crest of a wave and look into the boat in 

 order to count the herring therein. Their eyesight is deficient at times, 

 however, as they will sometimes dive after a spoon. Frequently the puffins 

 will get all the herring the fisherman has and he will be obliged to cease 

 fishing or have recourse to a spoon, which latter method is not nearly so 

 successful as to results. As far as I was able to ascertain, this habit of 

 stealing bait is confined to this species, the Horned Puffin apparently not 

 having acquired it. 



Fratercula corniculata. Hohned Puffin. — Nowhere very abundant 

 but fairly well distributed along the shores of the main island, also on Petrel 

 Island and Cape Horn Rocks. Probably 1000 to 1200 pairs in all. Gen- 

 erally nesting in small colonies of from five to twenty pairs each. No nests 

 were seen in burrows, all those noted being in cavities in cliffs and in crevices 

 in caves and under boulders, never more than a hundred feet (generally 

 less than fifty feet) above the water. The nesting location is much more 

 similar to that of the Pigeon Guillemot than to that of the Tufted Puffin. 

 The nest is very frequently so far back in a cavity as to be impossible to 

 approach closely. The nesting cavity is generally fairly well lined with 



