226 
LITTLE AUK. 
quent its base, and which appear to prefer its environs 
to any part of tho harbour. They are so numerous, 
that we have frequently seen an uninterrupted line of 
them, extending full half way over the bay, or to a 
distance of more than three miles, and so close toge- 
ther, that thirty have fallen at one shot. This living 
column, on an average, might have been about six 
yards broad, and as many deep. There must have 
been nearly four millions of birds on the wing at 
one time." Skins are frequently brought home by 
the whaling vessels ; and those which we shall now 
describe were obtained from that source. 
In the New World it is not abundant, except on 
some parts of its arctic shores. Audubon did not 
meet with it in Labrador or Newfoundland, and to 
the south it is taken frequently in a state of ex- 
haustion, and has not reached beyond the shores 
of New Jersey, where it is of very rare occurrence.” 
In tho plumage of the summer, or while breeding, 
the head, neck, upper part of the breast, back, 
wings and tail, are glossy brownish black, on the 
head and neck having a browner tint ; the tips of 
the secondaries are white, and the long scapulars 
are bordered with the same colour ; above each eye 
there is a narrow speck of white; the under plumage 
is white, except a part of the long flank feathers 
covering the thighs, which have the inner webs 
blackish brown. In winter, the change is confined 
to the sides of the neck and breast, and the posterior 
parts of the cheeks, which become pure white. 
