358



Rev. C. D. Farrar,



webbed feet and taking short wing-strokes. Many of the birds

had their throats extended with, what I presume was, food for

their young, brought from the open sea. They were never

numerous in the bay r itself and the few that I observed there

were timid and easily frightened.


Most, if not all, authorities state that the Tittle Auk

lays but a single egg. Although the proportionally large size

of the eggs tends to show that this is the case, in two instances I

found the evidence to be contradictory. In the very first hole

that I examined there were tzvo eggs. Now as most of the birds

had young at the time it seems extremely improbable that these

eggs should have been laid by separate females, more especially

as they were perfectly fresh. Another nesting-hole contained

two young apparently of the same age.


To give some idea of the size of this diminutive member

of the Alcidcz family I might mention that its total length is

only 8^- inches. The accompanying sketch is of a bird in full

summer plumage.



SUCCESSFUL NESTING OF THE WHITE-

THROATED FINCH, fSpermophila albigularisj .


By the Rev. C. D. Farrar.


Ouaud on n’a pas ce qu’on aime, il faut aimer ce qu’on a ;

which being interpreted means, if you cannot get just what you

want you must put up with what you have. I felt like that

when I commenced bird keeping again last year, after an

enforced absence through illness of two years. Was it not Sir

Walter Scott who said, “Thank God for all common tilings!”

When therefore I one day saw advertised a pair of White-

tliroated Finches for sale, I wrote off for them at once. You

may ask, “ Why did I not wait until the next day?” Because,

next day anything may happen. When the true sportsman sees a

trout jump within casting distance he does not wait until next

day. I never throw away a chance if I can help it, and since,

so far as I know, White-throated Finches have never yet been

bred, I said to myself, in the words of the Ancient Mariner, why

should not I be



