Irw Mm***-' JrvCe'O* 
st*! &>■ . 
a^>t/ooc<J 
Black Guillemot (Gepphus grijlle). This small 
Guillemot breeds very abundantly in certain 
places on the bold western coast, laying their 
eggs in all sorts of out of the way places which 
offer shelter above high water mark. Not be¬ 
ing in particular quest of this species we spent 
but a short time among them at a favored breed¬ 
ing ground, the western coast of Wood’s Is¬ 
land, where we found them June 11th, nesting 
in countless numbers. This island is high and 
wooded, and lies to the southeast of Grand 
Manan proper, and is about half way between 
the latter and the Three Islands. On the east¬ 
ern side the land slopes gradually down to the 
pebbly beach, while the southern and western 
shores are lined witli massive perpendicular 
cliffs which rise in sheer ascent three to four 
hundred feet from the surf-beaten base. For 
grand and rugged coast scenery this spot is un- 
; surpassed on Grand Manan. At the foot, 
and from holes and cavities all the way up 
these cliffs the Black Guillemots whirr away as 
we pounded on the turf above. In a few mo- 
I ments the water was alive with them; they 
venture out but a short distance, disporting 
and preening themselves, all the while keeping 
up a plaintive clucking note. The eggs, two or 
three in number, are placed on the bare rock, 
or occasionally hollowed out in the dirt and 
lined with chips of shale. The boulders and 
rocks which lay in every sort of inexplicable 
positions and postures, as if an earthquake had 
shaken them from their original foundation, 
offered excellent nooks and corners for the 
shelter of the nests of C. gnjlle. The eggs are 
sometimes inadvertantly laid too near the j 
water’s edge and washed away by the incoming 
tide. A small subterranean cave which we reach¬ 
ed after a tedious crawling over the sharp rocks 
on hands and knees, contained several nests 
which we found by candle light. They are ex¬ 
ceedingly skillful in hiding away their nests, 
and one may poke about the cliffs for some 
time ere he gets the “ hang ” of finding their 
gggs. As it was, 1 failed to acquire this art, 
and came away with little to show for the 
trouble.^ & O. XII.Nov. 1887 p .Ilf-lffO \ 
