MUKRE. 501 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND KGGS. 



F.'/t/s, plncoil on shelves of rocky cliffs, one in number, pyriform in shape, varying from white, through blue, to green 

 in color, spotted and blotolied with dark-brown and umber. Dimensions from l-75xsJ'90 to 2'15x3'50. 



II A HITS. 



I did not find the Mnrres on any of the Magdalen Islands, excepting Bird Rock, but 

 they were remarkably abundant there, thousands nesting on the rocky shelves, sitting side 

 by side on the narrow parapets, and, although often crowded together, never making the 

 least uHcnipt to quarrel. When we descended the cliffs and approached the ledges on 

 which the Murres were nesting, they would crowd together or press against the wall be- 

 hind them; as we went nearer, the birds would bow the head forward until the bill almost 

 touched the surface upon which they stood, and utter a curious, gutteralnote which sound- 

 i'd almost exactly like the syllable murre. This opperation was repeated frequently, until 

 at last the males would fly, leaving the females with the eggs or young. When we were 

 within a few feet of them, the poor birds would turn their heads right and left, open their 

 mouths to pant for breath, shrink as far from us as they could without exposing their charges, 

 in fact, evincing by every movement, extreme fear. If taken in the hand, they never at- 

 tempted to defend themselves, but simply gazed at us piteously with their beautiful, almond 

 shaped eyes, or cast imploring glances at their helpless charge left unprotected. The Murres 

 migrate southward in November and I have seen them off the coast of Northern Florida. 



My readers will naturally wonder how we succeeded in getting away from this lonely 

 islet, for we had not been on the Rock more than forty-eight hours, when, having collect- 

 ed quite a supply of birds and eggs, we became anxious to leave, that we might take prop- 

 er care of our specimens. We therefore asked the light-keeper what signals he used when 

 IK- wanted assistance from vessels. He replied, that he raised the British flay at half-mast. 

 Thus we kept this signal flying whenever it was possible for a boat to land, but it was not 

 until the ninth day, that we perceived signs on any of the fishing vessels, which indicated 

 that they had observed our call for aid. On this day there had been a slight breeze from 

 the west, bringing several small schooners down from Bryon. We waited patiently until one 

 of the vessels came within hailing distance, when with the flag still half-mast, we gathered 

 together on that side of the rock and discharged our guns simultaneously, at the same time 

 displaying a red flag. All this, at last, produced the desired effect and they came to anch- 

 or. A boat was lowered, and after some delay, we boarded the vessel with our speci- 

 mens. We did not leave the locality, however, until nearly night, and the last view I had 

 of the island, was by the light of the setting sun, when the huge, rocky bastion stood out 

 in strong relief against the western sky, with a circling coronet of Gannets over it, form- 

 ing a picture which will never be effaced from my memory. 



