152 BLACK GUILLEMOT.
crag or block to another, make use of their wings. When their nests are very
high above the water, they fly directly into them; and from such heights,
if necessity demands it, they at once dive towards the water.
I kept many alive on board the Ripley. They ran on the floor in an
erect position for a few yards, fell down on their breasts, rose again, and
continued their exertions to escape, until they got fairly concealed behind
a chest or barrel.
The winter plumage of this species differs so greatly from that of summer,
that I have been induced to present you with a figure of the bird in
both states. It is difficult to perceive any external difference between the
sexes, only the males are rather larger than the females. Their flesh, although
black and tough, is not very unpalatable.
The trachea is flattened, with numerous close, transparent rings. The
gullet, as in all the other species of this genus, is very dilatable. The
gizzard, which is small, has its inner membrane thin and of a yellow colour.
The intestines are about the thickness of a goose quill, and measure
two feet eight inches in length.
UaiA GIIYLLI", Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 797-—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 423.—Swains, and Richards. Fauna Boreali-Americana,
part ii. p. 478.
BLACK GUILLEMOT, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 523.
Adult in Summer. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, rather stout, tapering, compressed,
acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight and sloping,
towards the tip slightly arched, the sides sloping and towards the end
a little convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected. Nostrils basal, lateral,
linear, partially concealed by the feathers. Lower mandible with the
angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line ascending, straight, the sides
sloping upwards, slightly convex, flat at the base, the edges sharp and inflected,
the tip acute.
Head of moderate size, oblong; neck short; body full, depressed;
wings rather small. Feet placed far behind, short, of moderate size;
tarsus short, compressed, anteriorly scutellate, laterally covered with reticulated
angular scales; toes rather slender, scutellate above, connected
by entire reticulated webs, the outer and inner with a small marginal
membrane; the first toe wanting, the third and fourth about equal, the
second shortest; claws small, arched, compressed, rather obtuse, that of
the middle toe with a dilated thin inner edge.
Plumage soft, close, blended and velvety ; feathers of the head very
short, on the back broadly rounded, of the lower parts more elongated.
Wings rather small; primary quills curved, the first longest, the second
little shorter, the rest rather rapidly diminishing; secondary incurved,
broadly rounded. Tail short, narrow, rounded, of twelve rather pointed
feathers.
Bill black, inside of mouth vermilion tinged with carmine. Iris deep
brown. Feet of the same colour as the mouth, claws black. The general
colour of the plumage is deep black, on the upper part tinged with green,
on the lower with red, there being only a large patch on each wing, including
the secondary coverts and some of the smaller feathers pure white,
as are the lower wing-coverts. The quills and tail are tinged with brown.
Length to end of tail 13| inches, to end of claws 16£, to end of
wings 13; extent of wings 211 ; wing from flexure tail 2 ; bill along
the ridge 1£, along the gape If ; tarsus ly^, middle toe 1^, its claw
Weight 13^ oz.
Adult in winter. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 2.
The bill and iris are of the same colour as in summer, but the red of
the feet is paler. The general colour of the plumage is white, the sides
of the head, the neck all round, the lower parts, and the rump being of
that colour, more or less shaded with grey. The upper part of the head
obscurely mottled with greyish-black ; the back and scapulars black,
each feather tipped with greyish-white, those of the latter more broadly.
The wings and tail brownish-black, the former with the conspicuous white
patch, as in summer.
Young a few days old. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 3.
Bill and feet black, the former tinged with red ; iris dark brown. The
general colour of the soft thick down with which the whole body is covered
is brownish-black.