202 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN DIVING BIRDS 



Alcidae had been nearly, if not quite, annihilated on "the Labrador." 

 A few pairs of razor-billed auks may still breed on some of the 

 islands off the southern coast of Labrador or perhaps in the extreme 

 north of Labrador there may be some small colonies, but the only 

 colony of any size still remaining is on that impregnable sea birds' 

 stronghold, Bird Rock; on this famous crag, much of which is in- 

 accessible, the sea birds are well protected by nature and by man; 

 here they will probably make their last stand or perhaps, let us hope, 

 be perpetuated for future generations within easy reach of civili- 

 zation. 



Nesting. When we visited Bird Rock in 1904 we estimated that 

 the total population was about 10,000 birds, of which about 1,800 

 were razor-billed auks; the auks apparently outnumbered either one 

 species of murre, but not the two species combined, and were exceeded 

 in abundance only by the gannets and the kittiwakes. The strong- 

 holds of the auks were mainly on the upper ledges, near the top of 

 the rock, where they had crawled into every available crevice or 

 cavity and under every overhanging rock to lay their single eggs. 

 Occasionally a razorbill's egg could be found on the open ledges with 

 the murres, or in the entrance to a puffin burrow, but, as a rule, they 

 were more or less concealed or under cover. The razorbills were the 

 tamest, the least suspicious, and the most sociable, or perhaps, I 

 should say inquisitive, of all the birds on the rock; I need only sit 

 still for a few moments in the vicinity of their nests, when they 

 would begin to gather on all the surrounding rocks in small parties, 

 eyeing me with curiosity, waddling awkwardly about and making a 

 faint guttural sound. They certainly looked very attractive in their 

 sleek coats of dark seal brown and pure white breasts; occasionally 

 one would open its mouth, showing the rich yellow interior, a marked 

 color contrast which adds brilliancy to its courtship display. I 

 noticed that whereas both the auks and murres usually sit in an 

 upright position, while perched on the ledges, they assume the normal 

 horizontal position, as other birds do, while incubating on their eggs; 

 moreover, there is a bare space in the center of the breast of an 

 incubating bird in which the egg is held horizontally and lengthwise. 

 Although the egg is often laid on a bed of small stones, I doubt if the 

 stones are ever placed there for that purpose by the birds, as more 

 often the egg is laid on the bare rough rock without any attempt at 

 nest building. 



Audubon (1840) found these auks, on the south -coast of Labrador, 

 breeding in deep and narrow fissures in the rocks. 



One place in particular was full of birds; it was an horizontal fissure, about 

 2 feet in height, and 30 or 40 yards in depth. We crawled slowly into it, and 

 as the birds affrighted flew hurriedly past us by hundreds, many of their eggs 

 were smashed. 



