288 August 1855- Encampment at Seniarino R. rocky ledges, near which they were usually seen swimming, and occasionally diving for food. These we stick in considerable numbers by setting out decoy made of their stuffed skins, and hiding behind the rocks near by. They are very shy, ficault to flush on the water, diving at the flash; and they soon desert a place where they have been much fired at. The Puffins inhabited a ledge, at a considerable distance from the camp. One one occasion, having shot one of these which fell into the water, I was surprised to see several others collect around it, fiercely pecking at it with their bills; and so intent were they upon this that several charges of shot sent among them at twenty yards distance had not the effect of driving them off. A little auk made its appearance here one day in September, and was seen in abundance on the waters of the bay for several days. They flew with dif- ficulty, and could be closely approached in a boat, and shot with common pistols loaded with small shot. A large species of Cormo- Rant was common, and was easily distin- guished when swimming about among other birds, by the length and slenderness of its neck, 289 August 1855- Encampment at Seniarino R. Four species of ducks were shot; among which was the "King Duck", and one apparently a new species. These were not killed in any num- ers, but they, with the guillenots, occasion- ally afforded us a pleasant change of viands. Three or four species of sandpipers and plovers were shot on the spit; and on one occa- sion, during a heavy eastern gale, a large flock of Phalaropes alighted on the water under the lee of our beach for pro- tection from the storm. These we shot- by tens and twenties at a "crup", and they toffere very good eating. The day of their ap- pearance and capture became an era in our chronology, under the name of "Ships Sunday". The land birds were few in number. A small number of ravens look- ed about the camp and village, picking up offal and croaking at passers-by. Two or three kinds of Sparrows were seen in the meadows and on sars-covered rocks. Mr Brooke shot two or four ptarmigan upon the mountains; and a pair of Cranes of large size were seen by one of our men. We experienced much foggy and rainy weather in the middle and latter part of August