November, 1902. | 
THE CONDOR 
137 
Rissa tridactyla pollicaris 
Arctonetta fischeri 
Tringa couesi 
Acanthis linaria 
Hirundo erythrogastra palmer i 
SPECIES OBSERVED ON BESBORO ISLAND. 
Lunda cirrhata 
Fraterada coriiiculata 
CeppJms columba 
Phalacrocorax pelagicus robustiis 
Corviis corax prmcipalis 
Zo7iofrichia coronata 
Passerella iliaca 
Arimodra^nus sandwichensis alaudmus 
Acanthis linaria 
Dendroica cestiva rubiginosa 
Anthns peyisilvanicns 
Hylocichla alicice 
Gavia lumme (Gunn.). — Loons were seen at various points along the coast 
wherever there were pools. The only species identified was the red-throated, of 
which a male was taken at Fallax Point, August 24 
Lunda cirrhata (Pallas). — This species was found nesting on Egg Island, Bes- 
boro Island, Pathfinder Rock and at Cape Denbigh. The nesting habits of the 
tufted and horned puffins are so similar that they will be treated of together un- 
der the latter species. 
Fratercula corniculata (Naum.). — Horned puffins were found nesting on Bes- 
boro Island and probably they nested at Cape Denbigh, but the cliffs are so high 
at both these localities that it is impossible to collect eggs. I shall therefore de- 
scribe their habits first, as observed on Egg Island and second, as seen on Path- 
finder Rock. The puffins, as I stood on top of the bluff overlooking their nesting 
place on Egg Island, flew by in a steady stream. Looking over the water they 
were seen to return to the left, to pass again before the face of the cliff. In their 
flight they described a slightly flattened circular figure with a long diameter of 
about 200 yards parallel to the shore line. In leaving the cliff the legs were 
spread far apart and extended horizontally behind, the wings beating rapidly. 
Mixed with this species but far less numerous were tufted puffins. The nests 
of both species are similar and are placed in various positions. Most of the birds 
inhabit true burrows made in the soft soil. These are from one to four feet long 
and though usually fairly straight are, in some cases, winding. Other burrows 
are made next to a rock so that the stone forms one of the side walls. Small caves 
among rock slides are also utilized as nesting places, and I saw one puffin fully 
twelve feet from the outside in a vertical crack of a large rock. 
The nest is made of the dead stems of a plant growing abundantly on the hill 
side. The soil here is very damp and the eggs become more or less stained. 
Either sex was found incubating and the setting bird bit savagely when disturbed, 
making no effort to escape while the entrance was barred. On Pathfinder Rock 
I found both species of puffins, but a hurried run over the island did not show 
any burrows. The first egg I found was under a rock and after working careful- 
ly twice around the island, I came off with twenty-one eggs. The description of 
the nesting is taken from my note book as set down at the time. “These nests 
are very different from those on Egg Island. No eggs were found except under 
rocks and most eggs were under small rocks which stood high enough to admit 
the bird. Other eggs were far back under large rocks so that they were out of 
reach, but I managed with a rib bone of some mammal lashed to a lath to draw 
out all eggs which I found. These nests are, in most every instance, well made 
of coarse dry grass, with a deep cavity. The soil is dry and the nests being better 
made and among rocks the eggs are less stained than on Egg Island.” 
Eggs collected July 17 were nearly all fresh, or but slightly incubated. 
