with the eye (Zool. 1866, p. x.) On Handa, off the coast
of Sutherland, the Ringed variety is said by Mr. Harvie-
Brown to be abundant as compared with other bird stations
in Scotland, being in the proportion of about one in ten or
twelve, and he has many times seen the Common and the
Ringed birds paired. Major Feilden’s experience in the
Hebrides and the Fieroes is to the same effect, and details
of the observations of these two eminent ornithologists at
Barra Head and on Mingalay, will be found in Mr. Gray’s
‘ Birds of the West of Scotland ’ (p. 426). The assertion by
Pastor Sommerfelt as to the large proportion of the Ringed
form in the north of Norway, is contradicted by Mr. Collett,
who emphatically states that every one of the individuals he
was able to examine on the Stappen breeding-station near
the North Cape, in June 1872, belonged to the original type.
At Grimsey, to the north of Iceland, according to Mr. Procter,
there is a considerable proportion of the Ringed variety;
and there appears to be a general although not invariable
increase in the number of this form towards the north.
From Baird’s ‘ Birds of North America ’ (p. 914), it would
seem that this variation is equally found in the Pacific
U. californica: a strong argument against the specific
value of the white markings. On the other hand, Mr.
Gatcombe informs the Editor that all the Ringed birds
which he has examined appeared to have the apertures of
the eye, when measured with the compass, larger than in
the ordinary bird, and his views are entitled to much consideration.
As regards the eggs laid by the Ringed form,
they are undoubtedly liable to the same variations as those
of the typical bird ; and, upon the whole, the balance of
evidence appears to show that the Ringed bird is merely a
form of the Common Guillemot.
The Guillemot’s evolutions in the water have of late years
been exhibited to advantage in the tanks at the Brighton
Aquarium, and at the Zoological Society’s Gardens. Considerable
force is exercised in diving, and the wings are used
for propulsion under water, the course of the bird being
marked by a line of small, silvery bubbles, and its immersion
sometimes lasting more than half a minute. Its food
consists of small fish and their fry, crustaceans and marine
insects.
Guillemots have a partial moult in the spring, besides
the entire moult in autumn, and while changing the wing-
primaries they are said to be for a time wholly incapable
of flight. In summer the bill is black ; the inside of the
mouth orange ; the irides dark brown ; head and neck all
round dark brown ; upper parts dark brown with a slaty
tinge ; tail and wings, except the tips of the secondaries, sooty-
brown ; lower part of neck in front, and all the under surface
of the body pure white ; legs and toes dark brownish-black,
the membranes olive. In winter the brown of the throat
and sides of the head becomes white, with an irregular
mottled band across the lower part of the throat. The
whole length of a male bird about eighteen inches; the wing,
from the wrist to the end of the longest quill-feather, seven
inches and a half. Females are rather smaller than males.
The young Guillemot, on its first appearance, has the
down of the chin and the throat in front white, the neck in
front below slightly varied with a few black haiis, which aie
lost on the bird’s gaining its first true feathers; upper parts
dusky-brown.
The figure on the left hand in the illustration was taken
from a young bird of the year, killed in its first wintei j in
this state of plumage it resembles the adult in winter, but
is distinguished by its smaller beak and the yellowish webs
to its feet; the throat remains white or mottled till the
second spring-moult produces the appearance obseived in
our other figure, the ordinary plumage of summei.
Pure white and piebald individuals of this species are fiom
time to time obtained. In the Proceedings of the Zoological
Society for 1877 (p. 2), is an account of the exhibition
by Prof. Newton of a bird shot near Poole by Mr. T. M.
Pike on the 29th of November, 1876, and similar to the
curious variety described by Dr. Kriiper as once taken at
Grimsey, off the north coast of Iceland ; the bill and feet
being bri ght yellow, and the claws white.