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LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS- LONGIPENNES. 



close oxamination shi>\vod that two parallel strata of sandstone projcotod irregularly 

 from the faoe of the eliff for a distauee of from one to four inches, and that tlie nests 

 were built where these broken ledges afforded a partial sujiport, although the sliell 

 thus originateil was seldom more than half as wide as tlie nest. The line of nests 

 followed the winding projections of these ledges, the material used being dry grasses 

 agglutinated together, and also secured in the same way to the rock. Each nest had 

 a vi'ry shallow depression at the top. in which were two eggs. The whole had an 

 intolerable odor, and the nests wer^' very tilthy. The birds hardly moved at the 

 approach of an intruder; only those within a distance of a few yards left their posts. 

 Mr. Dall took away a nest containing two young ones, and the j)arent bird, coming 

 bai'k soon after, was a . Miished at their mysterious disai)pearance. and evidently sus- 

 pecting foul play on the part of her nearest neighbor, began ;v furious assault upon 

 the latter. A few eggs were obtained in a moderateiy fresh condition, but most of 

 those seen were far advanced toward hatdiing. 



Mr. Dall adds that the Kittiwake numifests great curiosity, sending out scouts 

 whenever any uinisual object ajiproaches. If not molested, these sctmts soon rctiu'n 

 to the dock, and the whole then proceed to investigate the phenomenon. This bird 

 is described as having a shrill, harsh cry as well as a low whistle, the fornu'r being 

 the one generally uttered when it is alarmed, and the latter being addressed to their 

 young, or used in communication with each other. After the young are fully Hedged 

 the parent birds leave the harbors, and are found during winter olf shore, excejit in 

 heavy storms. 



At IVlarot? Harbor Mr. Dall fouiul the nests attached to the sides of the bare 

 nu'ks and pinnacles of scoriaci'ons lava near the entrance. The slight ledges and 

 projections lieingso small as to be invisible at a short distatice, the nests appeared to 

 be fastened, like those of the Swallow, to the ])erpendieular faces of the rocks ; and 

 the appearance they im>sented was very remarkable. 



Jn Imilding its nest — as Mr. Klliott states — tliis sju'cies uses more grass and less 

 ni'iid than the /orn'mstrls, and its eggs are more pointt'd at the small end than those 

 of the last-nanu'd bird, tiio ground-i'tdor being also lighter, with numerous spots ami 

 blotches of dark brown. The chicks cannot with certainty l-.* distinguished frmii 

 those oi the l»rrirosfris until two or three weeks have elapsed after they have been 

 hatched. 



Tlse eggs of the Dacitic variety — collected from Eound Island, Alaska, by Mr. 

 Dall, and fnnu the I'rybilof Islands i)y Mr. Elliott — vary in length from 2.1.'0 to l'.;i." 

 inches, and in breadth from 1.00 to LGo. The gronndn'olor of some is a i)ale brownish 

 gr.ay, that of others is a jiale greenish gray. The nuirkings are mon> or less scattercii, 

 are rather faint, slightly h)ngitudinal and zigzag in their shape, of lilac-gray, mingled 

 with other markings of a dilute lunber. The eggs are somewhat uniform in thi'iv 

 appearance, aiul do not exactly corres])ond witli any of the common //. fridiu'tijhi 

 whii'h 1 have I'ver nu't with. Hut this -ariation, althougli thus constant, is net 

 greater than that which lias been found t<> occur in other instances in eggs of \\v 

 same species taken at diiferent localities .\hich were at some distance from eadi 

 other. 



