242 
CHARADRIIFORMEK 
vent ion Act and cannot legally be killed anywhere or at any season in 
United States or Canada, except for personal consumption by certain 
Eskimos and Indians. There is no systematic difference between murres 
and guillemots; the names are practically interchangeable and it is only 
usage that determines which name to apply to various species. 
Economic Status. Eating nothing but the smaller sizes of fish and 
crustaceans taken at sea, where the supplies are more than ample, there is 
little harm that these species can do. A new and modern enemy of these 
birds is the oil-burning ship. These have been in the habit of filling their 
fuel tanks with water as the oil is burned. On approaching harbour, or 
before refuelling, this water is discharged into the sea and with it large 
amounts of oily waste and sludge, which float on the surface and 
thoroughly permeate the plumage of any birds swimming in it, quickly 
causing their death. A comparatively small amount of oil will cover a 
vast extent of sea and at times thousands of sea birds have been killed in 
this way. Steps have been taken to prevent this pollution of tin* sea, and 
the danger to birds is being controlled. However, unavoidable loss of oil 
by such accidents as wrecks, and occasional violations of the law, will 
destroy numbers of birds every year. 
32. Razor-billed Auk. tinker, le code (Le Pingouin 
commun). Alca lorda. L, 16-50. The Razor-billed Auk is, 
except for bill, of the same general appearance as the next two 
species. 
Distinctions. Bill is considerably deepened and flattened 
(though not nearly as much so as in the puffin); it is thus 
easily distinguished from the murre, especially in summer when 
a white line connects the eye and the base of the culmen and 
the bill is crossed by a white band near the t ip. Bill of the 
winter juvenile is less characteristic but may still be distin- 
guished from that of the murres. 
Field Marks. Deepened bill and, when swimming, 
eocked-up tail make good field marks. 
Nesting. Similar to that of the two succeeding species but 
rather less gregarious. 
Distribution. Frequents our Atlantic coasts north to 
the Arctic. 
Figure 3.54 
Razor-billed Auk; 
scale, i. 
30. Common Murre. la marmette commune ou le guillemot common, Frio 
aalge. L, 16. The Common Aiurre in summer is white below, with head and neck dark 
Seal-brown, and back and wings black. On the 
Atlantic occurs a sporadic form with a narrow white 
ring about the eye and a line back therefrom. This 
was at one time thought to he a distinct species and 
given the name ringvia (See Figure 357, right). In 
winter the throat is light (Figure 355) veiled with 
more or less greyish, and the brown is replaced with 
black almost unicolour with the back. 
Distinctions. On the Atlantic coast easily separ- 
ated from the Razor-billed Auk by its tapering, sharp- 
ly pointed bill (Compare Figure 355 with 354). 
The Thick-billed Guillemot, however, causes more 
difficulty. In summer the adult murre lacks the pale blue streak at the gape of the 
bill, and the bill is slightly longer and more slender (Compare Figures 355 and 358). 
In winter this species lias a dash of black back from the eye and across the cheek (Figure 
355, compare with 358). On the Pacific coast the Rhinoceros Anklet is the Canadian 
species that most closely resembles it, but is much smaller, has a short bill, usually with a 
horn (Figure 365, page 247), and an evenly dark greyish throat. 
Figure 355 
( 'otnmon Murre; scale. £. 
Winter 
