THE BIRD BOOK 
20. Least Acklet. Aethia pusilla. 
Range. — North Pacific on the islands and coast 
of Alaska. This is the smallest of the Auklets; 
length 6.5 in. This species has no crest, but has 
the slender white plumes extending back from 
the eye. The entire under parts are white sparse- 
ly spotted with dusky. This species is by far the 
most abundant of the water birds of the extreme 
Northwest, and thousands of them, accompanied 
by the two preceding species, nest on the rocky 
cliffs of the islands of Bering Sea. Their nesting 
habits are the same as those of the other Auk- 
lets, they placing their single white egg on the 
bare rocks, in crevices on the cliffs. Size 1.55 x 
1.10. Data. — Pribilof Is., Alaska, June 8, 1897. 
Single egg laid in crevice. Thousands breeding 
on the island. 
White 
S ynthliboramphus 
21. Ancient Murrelet. 
antiquus. 
Range. — Pacific Coast, breeding from the bord- 
Least Auklet er the United States, northward, and wintering 
Ancient Murrelet south to southern California. 
Marbled Murrelet 
The Murrelets have no crests or 
flumes and the bills are more slen- 
der than the Auklets and are not 
highly colored. The ancient Mur- 
relet or Black-throated Murrelet, 
as it is also called, has a gray 
back, white under parts and a 
black head and throat, with a broad 
white stripe back of the eye and 
another formed by the white on 
the breast extending up on the side 
of the neck. They breed abund- 
antly on the islands in Bering Sea, 
laying one or two eggs at the end 
of burrows in the banks or on the 
ground, and in some localities in crevices on the cliffs. The eggs are a buffy 
white color and are faintly marked with light brown, some of these being in 
the shape of spots and others lengthened. Size 2.40 x 1.40. Data. — Sanak Is- 
lands, July 1, 1894. Two eggs on the ground under a tuft of grass and in a 
.slight excavation lined with fine grass. 
Buff 
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