TOWNSEND AND ALLEN: LABRADOR BIRDS. 303 



Palmer says: "At the Mingan group these birds breed only on an 

 islet near Mingan or Bald Island, and on the little group of islets to 

 the westward called Perroquet Islands." 



Frazar records a large colony — about 1000 — nesting at Wolf Island 

 near Cape Whittle. Of the thousand nests, he found twelve with 

 two eggs. Macoun says they breed at Gannet Island. 



Norton ('01, p. 142) from an examination of specimens brought 

 back by the Bowdoin college expedition, finds that the Labrador 

 birds "differ perceptibly from the European birds in having the out- 

 line of the culmen less convex — descending directly from the base 

 of the culmen to its tip — and in having the eminentia symphysis in 

 relation to the base of the tomia farther back. The bill is heavier 

 in appearance, being relatively shorter and deeper. The mandible is 

 in the average deeper, and the keel of the gonys much thicker.'' 

 Temminck described the American bird under the name of Mormon 

 glacialis. Norton concludes therefore that "it is evident that glacialis 

 of Temminck is the American subspecies which if not worthy of recog- 

 nition, must make his glacialis a synonym of arctica." 



As will be seen by the table, we ( met with Puffins all along the Labra- 

 dor coast but especially in the Straits of Belle Isle near Bradore. Here 

 on August 3d, between 5 and 6.30 a. m., we passed within a mile 

 of Paroqueet Island going in and out from Bradore. The island is 

 somewhat over an acre in extent, composed of soft red Cambrian 

 sandstone, which is elevated to the height of 20 or 30 feet with a small 

 cliff on the seaward side. Puffins were to be seen flying about the 

 island in large numbers. Many were sitting on the rocks of the 

 shore below the cliffs, others occupied the flat top of the island. The 

 surface of the water all about was dotted with them. Singly and in 

 groups of two or three, — very often the latter number, — and in larger 

 flocks of seven or eight these birds were flying straight away from the 

 island, generally close to the water. Others were returning close to the 

 water or at an elevation of 50 or 60 feet each with a capelin hanging 

 from its bill. There were at least 500 of them, perhaps many more. 



As observed from the steamer all along the coast, Puffins generally 

 allowed of close approach. After dipping its head nervously into the 

 water several times, a bird would either fly away with difficulty, 

 splashing along the water some distance in its endeavor to rise above 

 it, or it would flop out its wings and dive, using its wings under water 

 for subaqueous flight. Occasionally the two actions were combined 



