Auks, Murres, Puffins 



who made a special study of these birds in the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence, writes: "The first report of our guns brought dozens 

 tumbling from their nests. Their manner of descending from 

 the higher portions of the cliff was peculiar. Launching into the 

 air with heads depressed and wings held stiffly at a sharp angle 

 above their backs, they would shoot down like meteors, check- 

 ing their speed by an upward turn just before reaching the water. 

 In a few minutes scores had collected about us. They were per- 

 fectly silent and very tame, passing and repassing over and by us, 

 often coming within ten or fifteen yards. On such occasions 

 their flight has a curious resemblance to that of a woodcock, but 

 when coming in from the fishing grounds they skim close to the 

 waves and the wings are moved more in the manner of those of 

 a duck." 



Black Guillemot 



(Cepphus grylle) 



Called also: SEA PIGEON 



Length — i^ inches. 



Male and Female — In summer : Prevailing color sooty black, with 

 greenish tints above and lighter below. Large white patch on 

 upper wings, and white ends of wing feathers, leave a black 

 bar across the wings, sometimes apparently, though not 

 really, absent; wing linings white. Bill and claws black; 

 mouth and feet vermilion or pinkish. In winter : Wings 

 and tail black, with white patch on wings; back, hind neck, 

 and head black or gray variegated with white. Under parts 

 white. 



Young — Upper parts like adults in winter, except that the under 

 parts are mottled with black. Nestlings are covered with 

 blackish-brown down. Feet and legs blackish. 



Range — Breeds from Maine to Newfoundland and beyond; mi- 

 grates south in winter, regularly to Cape Cod, more rarely to 

 Long Island, and casually as far as Philadelphia. 



Small companies of sea pigeons, made up of two or three 

 pairs that keep well together, may be seen almost grazing along 

 the surface of the sea off our northern States and the Canadian 

 coast, following a straight line at the base of the cliffs while 

 keeping a sharp lookout for the small fish, shrimps, baby crabs, 

 and marine insects they pick up on the way. Suddenly one of 



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