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OKDERS OF BIRDS— WEAK-WINGED DIVERS 



dots. The breast is pure white, and the jet- 

 black back is marked by rows of rectangular 

 white dots, or broken bars. The legs join the 

 body far down, near the tail, and when the bird 

 takes to the land, it rests on its feet, the lowest 

 joint of the legs (tarsi), and the tail, which lies 

 flat upon the ground. 



Either on land or water, this Loon is a very 

 showy bird, and also a bird possessing many of 

 the mental traits which when combined form 

 what we call "character."' Usually it is very 

 wide-awake, suspicious, and difficult to approach ; 

 but there are times when it will approach danger 

 as if bent on suicide. Its cry is loud and far- 

 reaohing. Sometimes it is like a distressful 

 howl, and again it resembles wild, uncultivated 

 laughter. It is an expert diver and fisher, and 

 in summer is at home all over the upper two- 

 thirds of North America, breeding from our 

 northern states to the Arctic Circle, quite across 

 the continent. In winter it migrates south- 

 ward to the Gulf and the Mexican boundary. 



Its eggs are two in number, of a dull green 

 color. The newly hatched birds are covered 

 with black down, and in travelling the mother- 

 bird often swims with them upon her back. 

 The Loon rises from the water with considerable 

 effort, and flies heavily, but in migrating its 

 powers of flight are' sufficient to carry it wher- 

 ever it wishes to go. 



In the Potomac River, and along the Virginia 

 coast, this bird is called the "War Loon." 



THE CLIFF-DWELLERS OF THE SEA. 



There is a Family of weak-winged birds whose 

 members are all fisher-folk, and live high up on 

 the ledges of the bold and precipitous cliffs 

 which hem in the northern oceans. They are 

 sociable birds, and where not destroyed by man, 

 live in great companies varying from hundreds 

 to thousands. They form, as a whole, a great 

 and diverse company, divided into twenty-two 

 well-defined species. Collectively, they are 

 known as the Auk Family, and include 4 puffins, 

 6 auklets, or little auks, 5 murrelets, 3 guille- 

 mots, 2 murres, 2 auks, and 1 dovekie. 



Whenever you visit Alaska, or the arctic re- 

 gions, almost anywhere on salt water, you will 

 be surprised by the abundance of the birds be- 

 longing to this Family. Wherever rocky cliffs 



rise out of blue water, you will find them ten- 

 anted by these interesting creatures. Doubt- 

 less, also, you will find that when such great 

 gatherings of bird-fife are to be studied and re- 

 corded, one good camera is better than ten guns. 



Like the Aztecs who, like eagles, built high 

 up in the crevices of the rock-cliffs of the gloomy 

 Canyon de Chelly, to be inaccessible to the 

 hostile enemies who gave no quarter, for similar 

 reasons the feathered cUff-dwellers of the sea 

 build in similar situations. Dearest' of all spots 

 to the nesting sea-bird is a precipitous islet of 

 rock rising out of the sea, wholly inaccessible 

 to the prowling wolf, fox, and wolverine, and 

 if not actually inaccessible to man, at least so 

 very difficult that he looks for easier conquests. 



But let it not be understood that the birds 

 of the Auk Family confine themselves to high 

 cliffs and precipices. On the contrary, they 

 congregate in thousands on rocky ridges, or on 

 the tops of sandy hills — called dunes — at the 

 sea-shore, where their nests are easily accessible 

 to all their enemies. Just why their enormous 

 colonies do not attract foxes and wolves by 

 hundreds, we cannot imagine, unless it be for 

 the reason that the general abundance of ani- 

 mal life dulls the edge of appetite and enter- 

 prise. 



To any one interested in sea-birds, of which 

 there is really a great variety, a trip to Alaska 

 is replete with interest. Within a few hours 

 after leaving Seattle, or, let us say at Port 

 Townsend, the bird-life around the ship fairly 

 compels attention. A flock of gulls fly so close 

 to the rail of the hurricane-deck that some of 

 them might be caught with a dip-net. Pigeon 

 guillemots, and ducks of several species afloat 

 on the cold waters of the Sound ostentatiously 

 swim out of the steamer's track. On the ocean, 

 it will be strange if an albatross does not sail 

 out of space, and with far-stretching wings 

 swoop and soar, and sail after you, hour after 

 hour, without once flapping its wings! 



In Bering Sea, no matter where you land, the 

 chances are that thousands of murres and 

 puffins are there to greet you with noisy cackle, 

 and spread a cloud of wings overhead when you 

 disturb them. Really, the rookeries of Alaska — 

 of seals as well as birds — are alone sufficient to 

 repay a trip to that arctic wonderland, aside 

 from the wonderful scenery, flora, and big 



