20 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



XL SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS Brandt. 1837. 

 21. Ancient Murrelet. Grey-headed Auk. 



Synthliboramphus antiquus. (Gmel.) Brandt, 1837. 



St. George island, one of the Pribilof group, and at Sitka ; 

 breeds abundantly on the Nearer islands where a few are resident; 

 also at the Chica islets, in Akutan pass, near Unalaska. {Nelson.) 

 One specimen obtained at Atka island, June 12th, 1879 ; breeds 

 in holes made in the turf in the northeast part of the island. 

 {Turner.) Sitka bay, Alaska. (Dr. Bean.) One specimen taken 

 at Cape Beale, on the west coast of Vancouver island in Novem- 

 ber, 1888. {Fanning Not common ; west coast of Vancouver 

 island and taken in the straits near Victoria. Rev. J. H. Keen 

 reports it rare on Queen Charlotte islands. {Kermode.) 



Breeding Habits. — I have a series of 20 eggs of this bird that 

 were taken on Sannak island, Alaska, on June 26th, 1894. Up 

 to that time very few eggs of this bird had been taken. Mr. 

 Littlejohn found the nests under bunches of rank, matted grass, 

 the nests consisting of a slight excavation, and the eggs resting 

 on a few blades of grass. The eggs of this species consist of 

 two to the clutch and are unlike the eggs of any other sea-bird. 

 The ground colour is a deep buff, with small longitudinal 

 markings of light-brown and lavender-grey, size, 2.35x1.45. The 

 bird sits close on its eggs and in some cases has to be forced off 

 the nest with a stick. {Raine.) 



I was informed that this species breeds plentifully on Atka 

 island, one of the Aleutian islands. They breed in holes made 

 'n the turf or sod overhanging the brow of the cliffs. {Turner.) 



XII. BRACHYRAMPHUS Brandt. 1837. 



23. Marbled Murrelet. 



Brachyramphus marmoratus (Gmel.) Brandt. 1837. 



Large numbers of this species were taken at Sitka by Bischoff ; 

 Dall found them in the Aleutian islands ; and the writer found 

 them near Unalaska in May, 1877. They probably reach their 

 northern limit in this chain, where they breed. {Nelson.) Common 

 and breeds on several of the islands of Kachimak bay, Alaska. 



