VOl lM5 XIT ] Willett, Birds of Forrester Island. 297 



grass, frequently supplemented with a few feathers. The eggs are deposited 

 during the last ten days in June. The first young were noted July 22, but 

 some were probably out several days earlier. A few of the eggs of this 

 species are quite heavily spotted with brown but the majority are indis- 

 tinguishable from those of the last. The feeding habits of the Horned 

 Puffin are very similar to those of the Tufted Puffin but, as a rule, they 

 seem to feed closer to shore, frequently being seen in small flocks inside the 

 kelp patches. 



Cerorhinca monocerata. Rhinoceros Auklet. — Estimated num- 

 ber, about 20,000 pairs. The nesting colonies of this species seem to be 

 confined to the eastern side of the main island. On all the slopes in this 

 locality, where the ground is not too wet to burrow in, they are abundant 

 from a few feet above the rocky beaches to four or five hundred feet on the 

 hillsides among the timber. The burrows are generally from seven to 

 nine feet in length, crooked, and often forked two or three times. The 

 burrowing bird tears the earth loose with its bill and throws it backward 

 with its feet. The shallow nest cavity is more or less sparsely lined with 

 grasses and leaves, and additions are apparently made to the nest lining 

 during the incubation period and even after the young is hatched. The 

 egg laying begins the fourth week in May and probably continues far into 

 June, as a bird was found incubating an egg as late as July 22. 



The incubating birds are relieved by their mates at about 11 p. m. and 

 2 a. m., about three hours on the night shift and twenty-one on the day 

 shift. It was, of course, impossible to ascertain whether or not the same 

 bird continues to incubate during the day throughout the entire period, 

 but in this country of long days and short nights, it seems improbable that 

 such should be the case. The birds go considerable distances in search of 

 food and evidently prefer the smooth water of the inside channels to the 

 rougher water around Forrester Island. While they are rarely seen in the 

 latter locality in the daytime, they are abundant in the channels between 

 Prince of Wales Island and Dall and Suemez islands. They begin appear- 

 ing in small flocks in the vicinity of Forrester Island about an hour before 

 dusk and fly restlessly back and forth from then until dark. On one or two 

 occasions while walking among the nesting colonies in the daytime, I was 

 surprised to see an incubating bird leave the burrow and fly to sea. I do 

 not consider this a regular occurrence, but believe rather that the bird 

 heard my approach and was frightened into leaving the nest. 



The Indians' favorite method of capturing these birds is to build a large 

 fire in the nesting colony at the time of night when the birds are changing. 

 They become bewildered by the light and are easily despatched with the 

 aid of long spruce boughs. All auklets and murrelets are eaten by the 

 Indians and are known to them as " little ducks." 



Ptychoramphus aleuticus. Cassin's Auklet. — The least common 

 of the burrowing birds. Probably not more than 2000 pairs on the reserva- 

 tion, although this number is a pure guess, as it is impossible to differentiate, 

 from outward appearances, the burrows of this species from those of the 



