The Auks are confined to the higher or temperate regions of
the Northern hemisphere, and structurally they show no
close affinity with the Spheniscida or true Penguins of the
Southern oceans, although frequently associated with them
in popular ideas, owing to a confusion of trivial names, and
a superficial resemblance.
The Razor-bill is one of our best known species, although
inferior in numbers to the Common Guillemot and the
Puffin. All three may be seen in the tide-way of the open
sea around our coast at any season ; but as their numbers
are there dispersed over an extensive surface, these birds
are best observed during the breeding-season, when they
assemble by hundreds, or more frequently by thousands, on
many of the most extensive and highest rocks and cliffs of
our sea-girt islands.
About the middle or latter part of March in the south of
England, and early in April in the northern portions of
our islands, the Razor-bills, Guillemots, and Puffins converge
to particular points, where, from the numbers that
congregate, and the bustle apparent among them, confusion
of interests and localities might be expected. It will, however,
he found that, as a rule, the Guillemots occupy one
station or line of ledges on the rock ; the Razor-bills
another; the Puffins a third; the Kittiwake Gulls a fourth ;
whilst the most inaccessible crags seem to be left for the
use of the Herring Gulls. The Razor-bills generally select
the higher and rougher ledges, and they are partial to
crevices, their eggs being sometimes deposited so far in that
it is no easy matter to get at them ; at other times they lay
their eggs on the broader shelves along with the Guillemots,
but not so closely together. At the Faroe Islands the Editor
once saw a Razor-hill sitting on her egg in the old nest of
a Cormorant. When incubating they lie on their eggs,
the mate often standing by the side of the sitting bird.
Sometimes the male brings food to the female, but both
birds take their turn at incubation, one having been seen to
fly to the sitting one and give it a gentle peck, when the
latter immediately ceded its place. The egg of the Razorbill
differs in size, form, and colour from the lengthened
pear-shaped egg of the Guillemot, and it seldom, if ever,
shows even the faintest tinge of green; it measures on
the average 2’8 by 1'9 ; the ground-colour is white,
blotched and spotted with red-brown and blackish-brown,
sometimes mottled all over with a rich coffee or chocolate
colour. On shining the empty shell against the light, it
will be observed that the inside lining-membrane shows
green in the Razor-bill’s egg, whereas in that of the
Guillemot it shows yellowish-white, unless overpowered by
the green of the outer shell. Certain western localities are
famous for yielding a large proportion of handsome eggs
of this species, as Flamborougli is for its red-brown Guillemot’s
eggs. The first eggs are obtained about the middle
of May.
Mr. Theodore Walker has given (Zool. 1871, p. 2427)
the following account of this species as observed at Barra
Head, in the Outer Hebrides :—
“ The habits of the Razor-bill and Guillemot are very
similar; they both take about three weeks and four days
from the time they are hatched until they leave the islands.
When once they are enticed down they do not return to the
rocks ; not being full-fledged they could not very well fly up.
They generally fly down to the sea before sunrise : I have
seen scores fly down to the sea on a fine morning. At the
time they leave they are not full-fledged, only the wing and
tail being feathered; the neck and line of the spine from
the wing to the tail is still downy. I observed one Razorbill
enticing her young one to follow her down to the sea. I
don’t think it got any food that day, as it ran about from
one bird to another, crying all day and all night: until
nearly daylight it was still crying, but by the time I put out
the light it was nowhere to be seen ; doubtless the mother
had returned about that time and enticed it off with food.
Sometimes, when the young one is obstinate, the mother will
take it by the back of the neck and fly down to the sea. It
is great fun watching the old bird teaching the young one to
dive : the mother takes it by the neck and dives with i t ; up
VOL. IV. i