LITTLE AUK.
MERGULUS ALLE (Linn.).
Alca allc, Linn. S. N. i. p. 211 (1760).
Mcrgulus alle, Naum. xii. p. 55 ; Macg. v. p. 3 4 1 ; Yarr.
ed. 4, iv. p. 8 5 ; Dresser, viii. p. 591.
Arctica alle, Hewitson, ii. p. 465.
Guillemot nain, French; Kleine Lumme, German.
Here is the presentment of a bird entirely unknown
to me in life, but very fully treated of by all our
standard authorities ; I will therefore only quote from
them to the extent of saying that its breeding-haunts
are confined to rocks within the Arctic circle, that it
wanders, occasionally in large numbers, during the
winter months to British seas, and has frequently been
picked up alive and dead in various parts of our Islands
at considerable distances from salt-water. I may mention,
however, that in my own county of Northampton
some four or five storm-driven Puffins have been recorded
in local journals as Little Auks, three of these birds
having been sent to me for examination, at my request,
after the publication of the records to which I refer. I
am only acquainted with one occurrence of the subject
of this article in our county.