North American Birds Eggs. 



15 



19. Whiskered Auklet. Siinorhynrlrus pij<jmneus. 



Range. — The Alaskan Coast. 



Much smaller than the preceding; but 7.5 in. in length. Breast gray, belly 

 white; a small tuft of recurved feathers on the forehead and slender white plumes 

 from base of bill over the eye and from under the eye, backwards. The bill in 

 summer is a bright vermilion color. On some of the islands of the Aleutian 

 chain they breed quite abundantly. The nests are placed back in the crevices 

 of the rocks, where the single white eggs are laid. Size 1?. 00 x 1.2.5. 



20. Least Auklet. SimorhyiirliUK inisiUiis. 



Range. — North Pacific on the islands and coast 

 of Alaska. This is the smallest of the Auklets; ^^ 

 length 6.5 in. This species has no crest, liut has 

 the slender white plumes extending back from the ' 

 eye. The entire under parts are white sparsely 

 spotted with dusky. This species ia by far the 

 most abundant of the water birds of the extreme 

 Northwest, and thousands of them, accompanied 



by the two preceding species, nest on the rocky " . '". 



cliffs of the islands of Bering Sea. Their 



nesting habits are the same as those of the l^\■bitL•.| 



other Auklets, they placing their single white egg on the bare rocks, in 

 on the cliffs. Size 1.55 x 1.10. Data. — Pribilof Is', Alaska, June 8, 1897 

 egg laid in crevice. Thousands lireeding on the island. Collector, W. 



21. Ancient Murrelet. Si/iifhlihiir(uii}>luiN a iitU/mis. 



crevices 

 . Single 

 IMacoun. 



Range. - 



l 





Pacific Coast, breeding from the border of the Ignited States, north- 

 . - - .; ward, and wintering south to south- 



';;• ' • ^' . ., ern California. 



■ ■» ' ■■''/.'.''■■■ The INIurrelets have no crests or 



■■' ,■ -•.■'■ ■■ •■ : plumes andthebills are more slender 



■ c ' ■-. « . .',. > ^ than the Auklets and are not highly 



colored. The ancient Murrelet or 

 , ■ 'i Black-throated Murrelet, as it is also 



' fc-».i/iJ called, has a gray back, white under 



• i^' parts and a black head and throat, 



.0^ with a liroad white stripe back of 



the eye and another formed by the 

 white on the l)reast extending up on 

 the side of the neck. They breed 

 abundantly on the islands in Bering 

 [Buff.] Sea, laying one or two eggs at the 



end of burrows in the banks or on Ihe ground, and in some localities in crevices 

 on the clil^'s. The eggs are a l)ul^y white color and are faintly marked with 

 light brown, some of these being in the shape of spots and others lengthened. 

 Size l;. 40x1. 40. Data.— Sanak Islands, July 1, 1804. Two eggs on the ground 

 under a tuft of grass and in a slight excavation lined with fine grass. Collector, 

 €. L. Littlejohn. 





