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THE RAZOR-BIL1ED AUK. 
Alca Torda, Linn < 
PLATE COCCLXVL— 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 a 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 
