38 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



Subfamily ALCIN^. 



Genus URIA Beisson. 



URIA LOMVIA (Linn.). 



10. Briinnich's Murre. (31) 



Advlt male: — Head and neck, brown; upper parts, grayish-brown; second- 

 aries tipped with white, lower parts white from the throat downwards. 

 Length, 17 inches. 



Hab. — Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans; south 

 on the Atlantic coast of North America to New Jersey, breeding from the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence northward. 



Eggs on the cliff near the sea, pale green. 



Pound on Hamilton Bay, under circumstances similar to the 

 preceding. 



The two species of Guillemot which frequent the North Atlantic 

 resemble each other closely in appearance, but one is much more 

 abundant than the other. For many years the one which is com- 

 paratively rare was supposed to be the one which is abundant, a 

 mistake which has only recently been corrected. In the " Birds of 

 New England," Dr. Coues says regarding Uria troile (common Guille- 

 mot): "Contrary to the general impression, the "common" Guillemot 

 appears to be a rare bird in New England, most of the Murres 

 occurring in winter along our coasts being of the following species : 

 Uria lomvia (Briinnich's Murre)." And again, in referring to the 

 present species. Dr. Coues says : " This is the common winter Guille- 

 mot of the New England coast, and probably most of the reference* 

 made to Uria troile really apply to the present species." 



Mr. Brewster, following in the same strain, says : "At different 

 times during the past ten years I have examined specimens from 

 different points along the shores of Maine, New Hampshire, Massa- 

 chusetts, and all of the numerous birds which have come under my 

 notice have proved to be Briinnich's Guillemot ; indeed, the example 

 of Uria troile mentioned by Mr. Merrill, is the only New England 

 one of which I have any knowledge." 



While the foregoing was in the hands of the printer, we had quite 

 a nimiber of this species as visitors to Lake Ontario, very few of 

 which, I fear, were able to return to their favorite seaboard. 



The first I saw was in the hands of a local gunner, who killed it 

 on Hamilton Bay on the 20th November, and a few days later I 

 heard from Mr. White that five had been taken at Ottawa. The- 



