striking against the projecting points of the intervening sharp
and rugged rocks; wherefore I concluded that the information
of the rock-climbers was to be depended upon.” In
further proof of the truth of .their statement, I may mention
that I have seen on the sea, at the base of the very high
cliffs at thé Isle of Wight, between the needle-rocks and
Freshwater gate,, the young of the Guillemot and Razorbill
so small, that they could not have made the" descent by
themselves from the lofty site of their birth-place Without
destruction; yet these-little birds knew perfectly -well howto
take care of themselves, and at the approach of a boat
would swim away, and-dive in various directions like so many
Dabchicks. By the end of August, or early in 'September,
both parents and offspring have quitted the--rocks for that,
year, and for a time remain both night and day on the -open
water, far from land, till the circle of seasoris induces another
visit to the rocks.
This species remains also about' the rocks and feh^j^of
Orkney and Shetland all the year, and has been found in
summer in various parts of Scandinavia, at the Faroe 'Islands,
Iceland, in the Arctic seas as far north-^agi Nova Zembla,
Spitzbergen, and,by Sir Edward Parry, and Captain James
C. Ross, when on-their perilous -journey northward; .oye^the
ice, as high as latitude 8:kV East and south-east, of jEngland
the Common GuillemOk is .found on the coasts of Holland
and France ; it is not included among the birds of Nice or
Italy, by M. Risso or Savi. The Princeiof Canino, in his
catalogue of the birds foundTat Rome, only considers
currence there as accidental, and it very rarely appears so far
south as the Mediterranean.
These birds have a partial moult in the spring, besides
the entire moult in autumn,^ and while changing. th&, wingr
primaries they are said to be for a time wholly incapable of
flight. When killed here in summer P the bill is black; the
inside of the mouth orange; the irides very dark brown ;
head, neck all round, at the upper part, and on the sides and
bind part fyelow, the back, tail, and wings, except the tips of
thq*secondariesj sopty black; lower part of neck in front, and
all the under surface of the bodyypure white; legs, toes, and
their membranes dark brownish-black; the whole length of
male-bird about &eigh£eeh" inches ; the wing, from the wrist
,to tha^end of the d ig e s t quill-feather, seven inches and a
half. Females are rather smaller than males.
The young .<Gruillemat| oh its first appearance, has the chin
and the throat in -front white, jhe neck-in front below slightly
varied/with a JeK tbl^ck , hairs, which are lost on the bird’s
gaining its -first true feathers.
The figure on j f e 1MB hand in our illustration was taken
from a young bird' of the year, killed in its first winter; in
this*; state- of plumage they r^slgjahle |h ew in te r plumage of
"adult birds infligher northern latitudes,- but are distinguished
fronyold birds by ,ti|eir ,^mal|en^;bpak } thg, throat remains
white",till the spring-moult produces, the appearance observed
in our other figure, the ordinary plumage of hummer.