247 



THE RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 



• Alca Torda, Linn. 

 PLATE CCCCLXVI.— Male and Female. 



A few birds of this species occasionally go as far south as New York 

 during winter; but beyond that parallel I never met with one. From 

 Boston eastward many are seen, and some breed on the Seal Islands off the 

 entrance of the Bay of Fundy. These Auks generally arrive on our 

 Atlantic coast about the beginning of November, and return northward to 

 breed about the middle of April. During their stay with us, they are 

 generally seen singly, and at a greater distance from the shores than the 

 Guillemots or Puffins; and I have no doubt that they are able to procure 

 shell-fish at greater depths than these birds. I have observed them fishing 

 on banks where the bottom was fifteen or eighteen fathoms from the surface, 

 and, from the length of time that they remained under water, felt no doubt 

 that they dived to it. On my voyage round Nova Scotia and across the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, we saw some of them constantly. Some had eggs on the 

 Magdeleine Islands, where, as the inhabitants informed us, these birds 

 arrive about the middle of April, when the Gulf is still covered with ice. 

 As we proceeded towards Labrador, they passed us every now and then in 

 long files, flying at the height of a few yards from the water, in a rather 

 undulating manner, with a constant beat of the wings, often within musket- 

 shot of our vessel, and sometimes moving round us and coming so close as 

 to induce us to believe that they had a wish to alight. The thermometer 

 indicated 44°. The sight of these files of birds passing swiftly by was 

 extremely pleasing; each bird would alternately turn towards us the pure 

 white of its lower parts, and again the jetty black of the upper. As I 

 expected ere many days should pass to have the gratification of inspecting 

 their breeding-grounds, I experienced great delight in observing them as 

 they sped their flight toward the north. 



After we had landed, we every day procured Auks, notwithstanding 

 their shyness, which exceeded that of almost all the other sea-birds. The 

 fishermen having given me an account of their principal breeding places, the 

 Ripley proceeded toward them apace. One fair afternoon we came in view 

 of the renowned Harbour of Whapati Guan, and already saw its curious 



