LITTLE AUK. 409 



zontal with the tail, :ire brought straight forward and spread out; then the bird perches 

 upon the Rock. When down, they assumed a perpendicular position, resting upon the feet, 

 not touching the tarsi, and after regarding me attentively for a moment, would gape once 

 or twice, and then proceed leisurely to arrange their feathers. The eyelids of the Puffins 

 are provided with a singular appendage which gives the birds the appearance of wearing 

 glasses, thus producing a quizzical expression while they were scrutinizing me. 



They are of affectionate disposition, and I have frequently seen two of them rubbing 

 their bills together or playfully pecking each other. They are also very peaceful; indeed, 

 I never saw them quarrel with other birds or among themselves, and when an individual 

 attempted to alight on a shelf of the rock, which was so crowded with his fellows, that it 

 seemed impossible for him to find space on which to settle, they would endeavor to make 

 room for him, and would often permit him to stand upon their backs until he had obtained 

 a footing. The Puffins subsist upon small fishes which they catch by diving and swim- 

 ming beneath the surface of the water. 



GENUS III. MERGULUS. THE LITTLE ADKS. 



I'n-n. Ch. Bill, strony, much shorter than head, and with upper mandible curved at tip. Winys, short. Members of 

 tliis i;rmis are very small in size and the bill is notcomprassed. We have but one species within our limits. 



MERGULUS ALLE. 



Little Auk. 

 Meryulus atle VIEILL., Anal; 1816. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, small. COLOR. Adult. Head and neck nil around, and upper parts, black, glossed 

 with blui>h. Tips of .secondaries and scnpularies, and lower surface, white. Lower wing coverts, dusky. Iris, brown; 

 bBI and feet, black. In winter. Similar, but the white beneath extends to bill, and is dusky on sides of neck and throat. 

 Young. Similar to winter adult, but lacks the dusky on sides of neck and throat. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Recognized by the short, thick bill and small size. Distributed in summer from Labrador, northward; wintering off 

 toe coast from Massachusetts, southward. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of .specimens. Length, 8'00; stretch, 16'50; wing, 4'25; tail, T55; bill, -63; tarsus, .92. Long- 

 est specimen, 9'00; greatest extent of wing, IT'OO; longest wing. 4'50; tail, 1'60; bill, '65; tarsus, -95. Shortest speci- 

 men, 7-00; smallest extent of wing, 16-00; shortest wing, 4flO; tail, 1'50; bill, '60; tarsus, '90. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Eyys, placed on shelves of rocky cliffs, one in number, pyriform in shape, bluish-white in color. Dimensions from 

 l-a5x 1-80 to 1-30x1-85. 



HABITS. 



The Little Auks, or Dovekies, come to us from the North, late in autumn, and dur- 

 ing severe storms, are frequently driven inland for some distance. At such times, they 

 may be found on ponds and rivers, or even in small pools left by the rain, and are quite 

 helpless, being apparently in an exhausted condition; insomuch so that they can be easily 

 captured, but specimens which I have possessed, although quite gentle, have always re- 

 fused all food and soon died. The Little Auks appear to be incapable of standing upright 

 without making a strenuous effort, moving along a level surface without the aid of the 

 wings, or rising from it, but in order to take flight, are obliged to launch out from some 

 elevated situation or rise from the water. A specimen of the Little Auk once (low within 

 a few yards of me, when I was on Indian River, Florida, but this is much south of their 

 usual range. 



