60 



AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS. 



breeclin{» in North America from New Brunswick and Manitoba uortliward, 

 and niigrutini^ irregularly southward as far as South Carolina. 



Washington, rare VV. V. Long Island, common T. V., rare W, V., (Jet. to 

 May. Sing 8ing, casual T. V. Cambridge, one instance, Oct. 



Aest, a slight dejjression in the ground witliin a few feet of the water. 

 ^j/f/«, two, grayish olive-brown, sometimes tinged with green and spotted 

 with blackish, 2-80 x 1-75. 



This is a more northern species than Urinaior imber, which it doubt- 

 less closely resciubles in habits. 



^ ■ "■ ■ ( r 



^■1 ll 



h ■ ?i 

 ■■"ij' 



Family Alcid^. Auks, Murres, and Puffins. 



This family contains about tliirty species, confined entirely to tho 

 northern p<irts of the nortliern hemisphere. Nearly all of these are 

 found in North America, most of them, however, on only our Pacific 

 coast. Without exception they are maritime birds, passing the greater 

 part of their lives on the open sea. They nest in colonie.s, sometimes 

 in enormous numbers, generally upon rocky, precipitous shores. Their 

 progress on land is slow and awkward ; but they are, as a rule, strong 

 fliers, and accomplished swimmers and divers. Unlike the Grebes and 

 Loons they use their wings in diving. Their food consists of fish, 

 Crustacea, and other forms of sea life. 



KEY TO TUK SPECIES. 



1. Bill under -75 34. Dovekik. 



11. Bill over •75. 



1. Depth of bill at nostril over -00. 



a. Bill yellowish, depth at nostril over VOO. 



13. PiFKiN. 13a. Laroe-billed Puffin. 

 h. Bill black, depth at nostril under 1-DO . . 32. Kazok-billku Ai;k. 



2. Depth of bill at nostril under •tiO. 



A. Wing-coverts white or tipped with white. 



a. Greater wing-coverts entirely white . 28. Mandt's Guim-emot. 



b. Basal half of greater wing-coverts black. 27. Black Guillemot. 

 £. No white on wing-coverts. 



a. Bill over 1()0 30. MrnuE. 



h. Bill under I'GO 31. BhCnnicu's Mukke. 



13> Fratercula arctica ( Unn.). Puffin ; Sea Parrot (see Fig. .5, r). 

 Ad. — Upper parts, wings, tail, and foreneek blackish, browner on the lioad 

 and foreneek ; nape with a narrow grayish collar; sidt^s of the head and throat 

 white, sometimes waslied with grayish; breast and belly white. (Breeding 

 Hrds have tlio bill larger and brighter, and a liorny si)ine over the eye.) L., 

 131X); W., 6-10; Tar., 1-05; B., l-sr>-, depth of B. at base (in winter), 1-50. 



Range. — " Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, breeding on the North 

 Anwrican coast from tlie Bay of Fundy northward" (A. O. U.). Migrates 

 southward in winter, rarely to Long Island. 



m 



