1922] 



SHROSBREE, COLLECTING ON BONAVENTURE ISLAND 



33 



ing in rhythmic order. Sometimes these flights were made at consider- 

 able height, at other times low down near the water. 



We found large numbers of wings and tails of Leach's Petrols on 

 the land above the Gannet ledges, and for about a half mile back in the 

 woods. They evidently had been dug out of their holes by foxes. In 

 fact Duval and Stoddard surprised a fox in the act of eating one. 



On Jtily 10th, while cruising a few hundred feet off the southern 

 part of the Island, a flock of Ducks rose from the w^ater and settled 

 again about a cjuarter of a mile away. Two, however, remained behind, 





Fig. 21. — Young Kittiwake Gulls in nest. Bonaventure Island. 



and from their peculiar actions we knew that something must be wrong 

 with them. They were trying desperately to dive, but most of the time, 

 their tails and feet were above water. Sometimes they succeeded in get- 

 ting just below the surface. Duval got into the small boat we had in 

 tow, and rowed out to investigate, and he picked up each one of them by 

 the feet while it was still trying to dive. They were the American Scoter 

 in complete "eclipse," having moulted all their primary and secondary 

 feathers. Although no harm had been done to them other than lifting 

 them out of the water by their feet, both died, evidently from fright, a 

 few minutes after they were placed in the power boat. 



