The Bird Book Part 3

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26. CRAVERI'S MURRELET. _Brachyramphus craveri._

Range.--Both coasts of Lower California, breeding chiefly on the Gulf side. Craveri Murrelet is very similar to the last except that the under surfaces of the wings are dusky. Breeds on the islands near Cape St.

Lucas, burrowing in the ground as do most of the others of this species.

They lay a single egg, the ground color of which is buff; they are quite heavily blotched with brownish. Size 2.00 1.40.

27. BLACK GUILLEMOT. _Cepphus grylle._

Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, breeding from Maine northward to southern Greenland. Guillemots are larger birds than the Murrelets (length 13 inches) and their plumage is entirely different.

This species in summer is entirely black except the wing coverts which are white. The bases of the greater coverts, however, are black, this generally breaking the white mirror as it is called. The under surfaces of the wings are white. Legs red. These birds breed abundantly on the rocky islands and high cliffs along the coast. Soon after the first of June the eggs are laid in the crevices of the rocks and sometimes upon the bare ledges. Two or three eggs make the set. The ground color is a pale bluish or greenish white and the markings are various shades of brown and black. Size 2.40 1.60. Data.--Grand Manan, June 15, 1896.

Two eggs laid in a cavity back of large boulder. No nest. Collector, D.

H. Eaton.

[Ill.u.s.tration 030: Xantus Murrelet. Mandt's Guillemot.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bluish white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Black Guillemot.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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28. MANDT'S GUILLEMOT. _Cepphus mandti._

Range.--North Atlantic coast, more northerly than the preceding, breeding from Labrador to northern Greenland.

The bird differs from the Black Guillemot only in having the bases of the coverts white also. The nesting habits and eggs are identical. They nest in colonies of thousands and place the eggs upon the bare rock with no attempt at nest building. Generally the eggs are in the crevices so as to be difficult to get at. Size 2.30 1.55. Data.--Depot Island, Hudson Bay, June 6, 1894. Two eggs laid on bare rocky ground. Collector John Comer.

29. PIGEON GUILLEMOT. _Cepphus columba._

Range.--The Pacific Coast of North America, breeding from southern California northward. This bird is very similar to the Black Guillemot except that the under surfaces of the wings are dark. They breed abundantly on some of the islands of Bering Sea and a few of them nest on the Farallones. They lay their two eggs on the bare rock in dark crevices. The color is grayish or pale greenish blue and the markings are brown and black with paler sh.e.l.l markings of lilac. Size 2.40 1.60. Data.--S. Farallone Islands, Cal. Two eggs laid on gravel at the end of a burrow, about two feet from the entrance and 285 feet above the sea level. Collector, Claude Fyfe.

30. MURRE. _Uria troile troille._

Range.--North Atlantic coasts and islands, breeding from Bird Rock northward. Murres are similar in form to the Guillemots, but are larger, being about 16 inches in length. Entire head and neck sooty brown; rest of upper parts grayish black except the tips of the secondaries which are white. Under parts white. These birds nest by thousands on Bird Rock and on the cliffs of Labrador. They build no nests but simply lay their single egg on the narrow ledges of cliffs, where the only guarantee against its rolling off is its peculiar shape which causes it, when moved, to revolve about its smaller end instead of rolling off the ledge. The eggs are laid as closely as possible on the ledges where the incubating birds sit upright, in long rows like an army on guard. As long as each bird succeeds in finding an egg to cover, on its return home, it is doubtful if they either know or care whether it is their own or not. The ground color of the eggs vary from white to a deep greenish blue and the markings of blackish brown vary in endless patterns, some eggs being almost wholly unspotted. Size 3.40 2.00. Data.--South Labrador, June 19, 1884. Single egg laid on the bare cliff. Large colony breeding. Collector, M. A. Grasar.

[Ill.u.s.tration 031: Murre.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pale bluish gray.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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30a. CALIFORNIA MURRE. _Uria troille californica._

Range.--Pacific Coast, breeding from the Farallones north to Alaska.

This Pacific form of the common Murre is the most abundant breeding bird on the Farallones. Their eggs are used in enormous numbers for commercial purposes and these islands being located, as they are, within easy distance from San Francisco, thousands of dozens of the eggs are sold yearly, chiefly to bakeries. Although continually robbed, their numbers have not as yet diminished to any great extent. They lay but a single egg on the bare ledge. Individual eggs are indistinguishable from the last species but in a large series the ground color averages brighter. They show the same great difference in color and markings. The first set is laid in May, but owing to their being so often molested, fresh eggs can be found during August. Data.--Farallones, July 4, 1895.

Single egg laid on bare cliff. Collector, Thos. E. Slevin.

31. BRUNNICH MURRE. _Uria lomvia lomvia._

Range.--North Atlantic Coast, breeding range the same as the common Murre.

This species differs from the common Murre in having a shorter and thicker bill, the base of the cutting edge of which is less feathered.

They breed on the same islands in company with the common Murre and their eggs are indistinguishable. Data.--Coast of South Labrador. Single egg laid on ledge of cliff. About three hundred birds in the colony.

[Ill.u.s.tration 032: Varies from white to greenish blue.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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31a. PALLAS MURRE. _Uria lomvia arra._

Range.--The Pacific coasts and islands.

This is the Pacific form of Brunnich Murre. Its breeding range is more northerly than that of the California variety. Countless thousands of them breed on the islands off the coast of Alaska, their breeding habits and eggs being the same as the more southern form.

32. RAZOR-BILLED AUK. _Alca torda._

Range.--North Atlantic coast, breeding from Bird Rock northward and wintering south to the Middle States on the coast.

The Razor-billed Auk is in form similar to the Murres, but the bill is very different, being deep and thin, and with the upper mandible rounded at the tip. Entire upper parts black shading to brownish on the throat.

Under parts and tips of secondaries, white; line from eye to bill and another across the middle of the bill, white. They nest in large numbers on Bird Rock in company with the Murres and in still greater numbers off the coast of Labrador. Their eggs are not placed in as exposed positions as the Murres, being generally behind boulders or in crevices. This is necessary because, not being of the pear-shaped form of the Murres, they would be very apt to be dislodged if commonly placed on the narrow ledges. The eggs vary endlessly in marking but do not show the differences in ground color that the Murres do. The color is white, grayish or buffy. But one egg is generally laid, although two are sometimes found. Size 3.00 2.00. Data.--Bay of Fundy. June 17, 1891.

Single egg laid on bare rock in a crevice under loose rocks. Collector, A. C. Bent.

[Ill.u.s.tration 033: Grayish white.] [Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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33. GREAT AUK. _Plautus impennis._

Range.--Formerly the whole of the North Atlantic coasts. Now extinct.

These great auks formerly dwelt in large numbers on the islands of the North Atlantic, but owing to their lack of the powers of flight and the destructiveness of mankind, the living bird has disappeared from the face of the earth. Although they were about thirty inches in length, their wings were even smaller than those of the Razor-billed Auk, a bird only eighteen inches in length. Although breeding off the coast of Newfoundland, they appeared winters as far south as Virginia, performing their migration by swimming alone. The last bird appears to have been taken in 1844, and Funk Island, off the coast of Newfoundland, marks the place of their disappearance from our sh.o.r.es. There are about seventy known specimens of the bird preserved, and about the same number of eggs. The immediate cause of the extinction of these birds was their destruction for food by fishermen and immigrants, and later for the use of their feathers commercially. The single egg that they laid was about 5.00 x 3.00 inches, the ground color was buffy white, and the spots brownish and blackish. The markings varied in endless pattern as do those of the smaller Auk. There are but two real eggs (plaster casts in imitation of the Auks eggs are to be found in many collections) in collections in this country, one in the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, and the other in the National Museum, at Was.h.i.+ngton.

Through the kindness of Mr. Witmer Stone, of the Academy of Natural Science, we are enabled to show a full-sized reproduction from a photograph of the egg in their collection.

[Ill.u.s.tration 034: Great Auk Dovekie.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

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[Ill.u.s.tration 035: EGG OF THE GREAT AUK.

Photographed from the specimen in the Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia; not more than ten or twelve of these eggs are in this country; the one figured is one of the best marked specimens.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]