LITTLE AUK OR SEA DOVE. 107 



probably pour in countless millions upon the solar atmosphere, and 

 from what we know of their numbers in our own neighborhood, and 

 of the probability of their being infinitely more numerous in the 

 neighborhood of the sun, we have excellent reasons for believing 

 that to them, principally, is due the appearance of the zodiacal 

 light and the solar corona." 



I have occupied much more time in the discussion of this most 

 interesting and highly instructive theme than I had intended, but, 

 as you can see, the phenomena dealt with could not have been ex- 

 plained with less. We will now pass on to some of the less sci- 

 entifically important, but still, we will trust, interesting portions of 

 our diary. 



Just here a short account of one of the characteristic birds of 

 this region may be of interest. I refer to the little auk, or sea 

 dove i^Mergulus alle) , so common some years in the waters about 

 the islands and harbors all along the coast. From Oct. 15 th until 

 the ice set in, I found these little fellows common everywhere in the 

 waters of the bays and harbors, and they were generally quite 

 tame. The people here regard their arrival as a sign of cold 

 weather, but it certainly did not prove to be the case this year, 

 since the birds were unusually abundant and the year an unusually 

 mild one. The popular and local name is Bonne hovime (the 

 French for good fellow) and is pronounced as if spelled Bun- 

 num. It associates with the black guillemot, and possesses with 

 it many habits in common. It dives at the flash of the gun, swims 

 long distances under the water, but is generally very tame and quite 

 easy to approach though quick in its movements. I have seen 

 them killed with an oar after a long chase in a boat. When 

 first taking flight they half fly and half push themselves along the 

 surface of the water, since their small wings make it very difficult 

 for them to fly freely. I have seen one pursued in a boat by a 

 number of men who amused themselves by throwing the oars 

 and pieces of wood, together with the ballast of the boat 

 at it, not a single missile hitting its mark, since the bird was able to 

 dodge each article thrown at it by diving and appearing in a most 



