118 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



also been picked up, dead or exhausted, iu lociilities far 

 distant from the sea, where they had l^een driven h^ the 

 violence of the winds. 



The Little Auk is of truly oceanic habits ; in its food 

 and j^eneral methods of hfe it closely resembles the 

 Guillemots, passing its time (except at the breeding sea- 

 sons) upon the sea, searching for its food, which is su pposed 

 to consist almost entirely of the smaller Crustacea. 



This bird breeds in the most northern of the Faroe 

 Islands, and, according to some naturalists, in Iceland. The 

 eggs are of a unijorm pale blue colour, not dissimilar to 

 those of the starling ; the length is about one inch and 

 seven lines, and the breadth one inch and one line. Natur- 

 alists are divided in opinion as to the number of eggs hiid 

 by the Little Auk, some saying that two are laid, arid 

 others affirming that the number never exceeds one. Froni 

 the most recent observations the latter is most pr oba bly 

 correct. 



Dr. Hayes thus describes his visit to a great breeding- 

 place of the Little Auk on the Greenland coast of Smith's 

 Sound. The slopes on both sides of the valley were about 

 a mile wide, and consisted of piles of loose rocks. Along 

 these slopes the Little Auks flew in a constant stream a 

 few feet above the stones, occasionally alighting in 

 thousands on the rocks, .under which their eggs were 

 deposited, and in the winding narrow passages. The 

 ]^]s([uimaux in this valley eat great numbers of these birds, 

 which they catch in a very ingenious manner. Armed 

 with a net attached to a long pole they conceal themselves 

 among the rocks, and often catch half-a-dozen birds at a 

 time by suddenly raising the net at the moment the flock 

 is passing over their heads. Dr. Hayes saw more than 



