44 THE AUKS 



times the two species may be found breeding together, though in 

 separate colonies. As a rule, the eggs are difficult to get at : they are 

 laid on the bare rock ; but deep down in crevices of the cliffs, or 

 underneath masses of boulders which form the talus. Many of the 

 cliffs where the rotche breeds are quite inaccessible, and even where 

 the holes are low down the friable nature of the rocks often makes 

 climbing dangerous, or the egg is so far down that it cannot be 

 reached by hand. By these means it manages to defy the Arctic 

 foxes, which are continually prowling about the foot of the cliffs. 

 Many auk cliffs are some distance from the sea. On Spitzbergen, 

 while Messrs. Trevor-Battye and Garwood were descending the well- 

 known Horn mountain on August 17, they met with a single little auk 

 at a height of about 3000 feet. It flew round and round, but just 

 below them as they looked down over an arete, evidently anxious about 

 its young, and uttering a twittering note. Only a single egg is laid as 

 a rule, but Mr. C. Ingram found two fresh eggs in one hole in Spitz- 

 bergen, while another was tenanted by two young about the same 

 age. It is of course possible that in both cases the single hole was 

 occupied by two hens, but as most birds had young at the time of his 

 visit, it is very remarkable that the two eggs were both fresh. Still, 

 in any case, these must be regarded as rare exceptions, and the vast 

 majority of birds lay one egg only. In colour it is a pale greenish 

 blue, sometimes unmarked and at other times spotted and streaked 

 with light rust colour, chiefly at the big end. The greenish ground- 

 colour tends to fade, leaving the shell a greenish white. The average 

 size of 92 eggs is 1'92 x 1*33 in. [487 x 33*9 mm.]. In Iceland the first 

 eggs may be found at the end of May, but the regular breeding time 

 is in early June, while in Spitzbergen probably the best time is about 

 June 18-21. Mr. C. Ingram states that though the nests contained 

 young, closely huddled rows of auks were sitting on ledges of the 

 cliffs, while others were flying round in small parties of ten to twenty 

 or more. While on the wing they were continuously giving vent 

 to weird laughing cries, but when close at hand they conversed 



