226 LITTLE AUK. 



quent its base, and which appear to prefer its environs 

 to any part of the harbour. They are so numerous, 

 that we have frequently seen an uninterrupted line of 

 them, extending full half way over the bay, or to a 

 distance of more than three miles, and so close toge- 

 ther, that thirty have fallen at one shot. This living 

 column, on an average, might have been about six 

 yards broad, and as many deep. There must have 

 been nearly four millions of birds on the wing at 

 one time." Skins are frequently brought home by 

 the whaling vessels ; and those which we shall now 

 describe were obtained from that source. 



In the New World it is not abundant, except on 

 some parts of its arctic shores. Audubon did not 

 meet with it in Labrador or Newfoundland, and to 

 the south it is taken frequently in a state of ex- 

 haustion, and has not reached ' beyond the shores 

 of New Jersey, where it is of very rare occurrence." 



In the plumage of the summer, or while breeding, 

 the head, neck, upper part of the breast, back, 

 wings and tail, are glossy brownish black, on the 

 head and neck having a browner tint ; the tips of 

 the secondaries are white, and the long scapulars 

 are bordered with the same colour ; above each eye 

 there is a narrow speck of white; the under plumage 

 is white, except a part of the long flank feathers 

 covering the thighs, which have the inner webs 

 blackish brown. In winter, the change is confined 

 to the sides of the neck and breast, and the posterior 

 parts of the cheeks, which become pure white. 



