ALCA TORDA. 
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ably common, especially daring migrations, throughout our section. They winter from the 
Carolinas, southward, but are particularly common in Florida at this season, where, per¬ 
haps, a few remain to breed. As do all the members of the family, the Pied-billed Grebe 
places its nest on a mass of floating debris in some quiet, reedy cove of a pond or river, 
depositing the eggs early in June. The young follow their parents as soon as hatched and 
•are cared for by them with great assiduity. All the Grebes possess the power of inflat¬ 
ing the space between the skin and body, and thus they can ride lightly on the water, or 
by contracting the skin and feathers, are enabled to sink slowly beneath the surface, often 
swimming with only the head exposed; or they will remain hidden in the reeds, with the 
bill alone projecting. This Grebe migrates with the other species in September and October. 
FAMILY I. ALCIDiE. THE AUKS, PUFFINS, ETC. 
Bill, usually short and more or less compressed. Legs , short, with toe s fully webbed. 
Members of this family have the neck quite short. The legs are placed far back in the 
body, yet the birds can generally stand in a perpendicular position with ease. Sternum, 
long and narrow, with two marginal indentations. The outer covering of the bill is moult¬ 
ed in some species. The young are covered with down at birth but do not enter the wa¬ 
ter until fully fledged, being fed by the parents by regurgitation. 
GENUS T. ALCA. THE AUKS. 
Gen. Ch. Bill, shorter than head, feathered at base, compressed, but not as high as long. The bill is ridged transverse¬ 
ly. There is but one species within our limits. 
ALCA TORDA. 
Razor-billed Auk. 
Alca torda Linn., Syst. Nat., 1; 1766, 210. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Sp. Ch. Form, rather slender. Size, medium. Color. Adult. Head, upper neck, and upper parts, sooty-brown, 
lightest anteriorly. Very narrow line from bill to eye, tip of secondaries, and beneath, white. Iris and feet, brown, bill, 
black, crossed with a curved line of white. In winter. Similar, but white beneath to bill. Young, similar to the winter 
adult, but with bill weaker. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Known by the peculiar bill and white line in front of eye. Distributed, in summer, from Maine, northward; winter¬ 
ing from Massachusetts to Florida. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 17 00; stretch, 26'00; wing, 7'65; tail, 3'35; bill, 
145; tarsus, 115. Longest specimen, 18'00; greatest extent of wing, 27 - 00; longest wing, 7‘75; tail, 350; bill, 130; tarsus, 
125. Shortest specimen, 15*00; smallest extent of wing, 25'00; shortest wing, 7'20; tail, 3 25; bill, 1'40; tarsus, 1-00. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Eggs, placed in holes of clifts. one or two in number, rather oval in form, white in color, spotted and blotched with 
very dark-brown and umber. Dimensions from 2'l0x310 to 2'15 x3'15. 
HABITS. 
The southernmost locality from which I have ever received eggs of the Razor-billed 
Auk, is a cluster of rocks, about twenty miles from Grand Menan, but the favorite breed¬ 
ing ground of the species, is further north, and ! found them very abundant on the Mag¬ 
dalen Islands. Here, they place their.eggs in holes of rocky cliffs or beneath slabs on the 
surface. On Bird Rock, where the Razor-bills abound, they were quite tame, allowing 
me to approach within a few feet of them as they sat on the rocks, but they always managed 
to elude my grasp, even when incubating, and each bird usually deposits but one egg, 
though I have occasionally found two. 
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