CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 1 5 



Brunswick. {Audubon.') Not common in Greenland ; does not 

 breed further south than Lat. 63° 30' N. {Arct. Man. 



Breeding Habits. — I have eggs of this species in my collec- 

 tion which were taken in Greenland, June 20th, 1889. The eggs 

 are considerably larger than those of the common puffin. 

 {Raine) 



14. Horned Puffin. 



Fratercula corniculata (Naum,) Brandt. 1837. 



Coasts and islands of the North Pacific from the Kurile Islands 

 to British Columbia. (^A. 0. U. List.) Breeding abundantly on 

 all the rocky islands in Behring Sea. (Nelson.) This species is 

 abundant on all the shore-line of Alaska, south of the Arctic circle, 

 and in favored localities it abounds in incredible numbers. All 

 the Aleutian Islands with their east and west extensions are a con- 

 tinuous breeding-ground of these birds for over looo milesQin 

 length. The Prybiloff Islands, St. Matthew and St. Lawrence 

 islands are also great breeding places. {Turner.) Common on 

 the Prybiloff Islands. (J. M. MacSun:) 



Breeding Notes. — This mormon comes up from the south 

 about May loth to the Prybiloff Islands and always in pairs. It 

 makes its nests of dried sea-ferns, grass and moss, slovenly laid 

 together, far back in some deep or rocky crevice, where, when the 

 egg is laid, it is ninety-nine times out of one hundred cases inac- 

 cessible. The nest contains but a single egg, large, oblong, oval, 

 and pure white. (Elliott.) 



The nests of this species are placed on the ledges of the highest 

 cliffs of those islands where foxes are found, and on islands where 

 foxes are not found these birds breed generally at the base of the 

 bluff under the large rocks which have become detached and 

 fallen down. Their nests are composed of just whatever happens 

 to be there, be it sticks, stones, or earth. A single egg of clear 

 white colour is laid on the bare gravel or earth. The egg is very 

 large for the size of the bird and when cooked is tolerable eating. 

 The bird sits long at a time on the egg and does not leave it until 

 hunger compels her to seek food. {Turner.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



We have two specimens, a male and female, procured by Mr. 

 J. M. Macoun on St. Paul Island, September 14th and i6th, 1896. 



