[318] BIRDS OF OREGON 



A burrow, several feet in length, ending in a dome-shaped chamber. Egg: i, dull 



white, often spotless, but usually with faint spots of pale lavender, gray, or light 



brown. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from Destruction Island, Washington, northward 



to southern Alaska, Aleutian Islands, and northern Japan. Winters on open sea 



from Washington coast southward to Lower California. In Oregon: Winter visitor 



all along coast. 



THE FIRST Oregon record for the Rhinoceros Auklet was that of Wood- 

 cock (1901) for Yaquina Bay. The only other references to it as an Oregon 

 bird are by Finley (ms.) and Jewett (191/^3). Although it is the largest 

 auklet found on the Oregon coast, it is one of the least-known Oregon 

 sea birds. In life, its short, heavy body and intermediate size distinguish 

 it from any other auklet likely to occur. It is noticeably larger than the 

 other auklets and murrelets and decidedly smaller than the puffins and 

 murres with which it is associated. The chances for a person to see it 

 are very limited, however, unless he goes to sea, which, in winter, is a 

 rather robust sport off the Oregon coast and one seldom indulged in by 

 nature lovers and ornithologists. Although the species is present off the 

 coast from August until March we did not meet with it in life in any of 

 our offshore trips until Gabrielson and John Carter collected several off 

 Depoe Bay, September 10, 1934. Its presence is usually made known by 

 the finding of dead birds washed up on the beach. The earliest record of 

 this type that we have is of one found at Cape Meares on August 6; the 

 latest, March i. Records during August, January, and February are quite 

 numerous so that the bird is certainly present in numbers off the shore 

 at times. 



Two Oregon stomachs, one taken in August and one in December, 

 both nearly empty, contained fragments of small fish bones. This auklet 

 is known to feed generally on small crustaceans and fish and cannot be 

 regarded as having any effect, detrimental or otherwise, on man's eco- 

 nomic interests. 



Horned Puffin: 



Fratercula corniculata (Naumann) 



DESCRIPTION. Adults in breeding season (sexes alike): Top of head uniform grayish 

 brown; sides of head white; neck and back, black; throat sooty, changing to 

 brownish-gray on the chin; under parts white; bill brilliantly colored with salmon- 

 red, yellow, and orange; legs and feet bright red. Winter plumage: Sides of head 

 gray, legs and feet pale red, and bill much duller colored in dusky and pale yellow. 

 Downy young: Uniform dark sooty grayish brown, the breast and upper abdomen 

 rather abruptly white. Nest: A shallow burrow, sometimes lined with a little grass 

 or other vegetable matter. Egg: i, ground color dull white or creamy white, with 

 some markings of lavender, gray, or olive. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds on coasts and islands of north Pacific from southern 



