312 PROCEEDINGS: BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 



Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). 

 Kittiwake ; ' ' Tickler . ' ' 



Abundant summer resident. 



The Kittiwake is abundant during the summer all along the south- 

 ern and eastern coasts of Labrador. Turner says it is rare in Hud- 

 son Strait but records one seen over 100 miles up the Koksoak River 

 on October 13, 1883. He says it "breeds plentifully on northern 

 portions of the Atlantic coast of Labrador." The birds seen in the 

 Straits of Belle Isle and along the southern coast probably come from 

 Anticosti for Verrill and Brewster found them breeding there in great 

 numbers. A. P. Low found them common on the edge of the ice at 

 Great Whale Bay but "not very common in the northern part of 

 Hudson Bay." 



We saw Kittiwakes in large numbers along the coast, but saw no 

 breeding places. It seems probable that most of the birds on the 

 eastern coast breed on the lofty cliffs to the north of Nain. On July 

 10th we saw a flock of 200 near Blanc Sablon; on July 16th, 6 birds 

 near Frenchman's Isle; on July 17th, 5 near Pack's Harbor; on July 

 18th, a flock of 5000 at the mouth of Hamilton Inlet; on July 19th 

 to 21st from Holton to Nain we saw 466 Kittiwakes. On the return 

 we saw between 2000 and 3000 Kittiwakes between Nain and Pack's 

 Harbor; none between Pack's Harbor and Battle Harbor; about 

 2500 in the Straits of Belle Isle. The large flocks were of exceeding 

 grace and beauty. At Hamilton Inlet thousands of Kittiwakes cov- 

 ered the water, and, as we steamed on, they rose in bodies of five 

 hundred or more and whirled about like gusts of snow driven by the 

 wind, their pure white plumage lit up by the rays of the setting sun. 

 Silent for the most part, they occasionally emitted cries of kae kae, 

 or ha-ake and at times one could imagine the syllables of kittiwake. 

 On our return trip we ran into a flock of nearly the same size near 

 Cape Harrison. The appearance of a snowstorm here was more 

 perfect, for there was a thick fog bank on the edge of which the Kitti- 

 wakes played. The sun shining on the birds before the fog shut them 

 out was very striking. They were occasionally plunging for capelins, 

 at times disappearing entirely under water with a splash. One could 

 often be seen flying with a fish hanging by one end from its bill. A 

 Jaeger suddenly appeared on the scene and the twisting and turning 

 of pursuer and pursued was interesting to see. The Kittiwake finally 

 dropped his prey, and the Jaeger settled on the water to pick it up. 



