gjj; «114
L I T T L E GitJlLLEMOT.
L'MIA .4I.J.K, Tkmm.
. PLATE OGgXXXIX. MALE ASD FEMALE.
T H I s interesting little bird sometimes makes its appearance on our
eastern eeasita during very «told and stormy -weather. It doe? not proceed
ru'.ii'h farther southward than the shores of Now Jersey, where it
is of very rarei^ecurrence, Now and then, some are caught in a state
of exhaustion, as I have known to be the ease especially in Passamaquody
Bay near Eastport in Maims and in the vicinity of Boston and
Salem in Massachusetts.
In.the: course of my voyages across the Atlantic,KBhuvv. often observed
the Little Guillemots in small groups, rising and flying to short
distances, at the approach of the ship, or diving close to the bow and. reappearing
a little way behind. Now with expanded wings they would
flutter and run as, i t were on the surface of the deep ; again, they would
Seem to be busily engaged in procuring food, which consisted apparently
of shrimps, other crustacoa, and particles of sea-weeds, all of which
I have found in their st<miach. I have, often thought, how easy it
would be to . catch these tin® wanderers, of' the ocean with nets thrown
expertly from the begy of a boat, for they manifest very little apprehension
of danger from the proximity of one, insomuch that I have
seen several killed with-the. oars. Those which were caught alive and
placed on the deck, would at first rest .a tow minutes with their bodies?
flat, then_irise upright and run about briskly, or attempt to fly off,
which they sometimes accomplished, when they happened to go in a
straight course the whole length of the ship so as to rise easily over
the bulwarks. On effecting their; Oncapc they would alight on the
water and immediately disappear.:
During my tfeitito Labrador and Newfoundland I met with none
of these birds, although the cod-flsherg assured me that they frequently
breed there. I am informed by Dr TOWNSEND that this species is
found near the mouth of the Columbia River.
LITTLE; GUILLEMOT. 305
ALGA AL,LE, Litm. SyfiV Nat, vol. i. p. 211,^-iath. Ind. Qrnith. vol. ». p. 795-
L I T T L E AUK, ALCA ALLÉ, Wife. Amer. Ornith. vol, is. p. 94, pi. 74, ig- 5-
' '' UaiA ALLÉ,\Oh, Hon-ipuHe, Synopni« of Birds ol Waited States, p. 425.
L I T T L E GUILLEMOT, UUI A ALLÉ, Bidimis. and Smim. Faun. Bor.-Amer. vol, u.
•p. 4 #
L I T T L E AUK, ur SKA DOVE, NrttaH, Marmd, vol. ii. p. 531.
Adult Male in su turner. Plate CCGXXXIX.
Bill shorter than the head, stout, straightish, subpentagonal at the
base, compressed towards the end. Upper mandible with thé dorsal
line convexo-declinate, the ridge: convex, the sides sloping, the edges
sharp and overlapping, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal depression short
« i d broad ; nostrils basal, oblong» with a horny operculum. Lower
mandible with the angle long and wide, the dorsal outline very short,
ascending, and straight, the sides convex, toward the end ascending
and flattened, the. edges thin and inelinate, the tip acute, with a sinus
behind.
Body full and compact ; neck short and thick ; head large, ovate.
Feet short, rallier stout ; tibia bare for two-twelfths of an inch ; tarsus
very Short, compressed, covered anteriorly with oblique seutella, behind
with angular Scales ; hind toe wanting ; anterior toes connected
by reticulated webs, the inner much shorter than the outer, which is
almost as long as the middle ; the seutella numerous. Claws rather
small, moderately arched, compressed, rather acute, that of the middle
toe having its inner .edge, considerably expanded.
Plumage dense, blended, glossy. Wings of moderate length, narrow;
-pointed ; primaries pointed, thefirst longest, the rest rapidly graduated
; secondaries rounded, Tail very short, slightly rounded, of
twelve feathers.
Bill black. Iris dark hazel. Feet pale flesh-coloured ; webs dusky ;
claws black. Inside of mouth light yellow. The head, upper part of
neck, and all the upper surface, glossy bluish-black. A Small spot on
thé upper eyelid, another on the lower, several longitudinal streaks on
the scapulars, and a bar along the tips of the secondary quills, white.
The, lower parts white ; the feathers on the sides under the wings have
the outer webs white, the inner dusky ; lower wing-coverts blackish-
Length to end :of tail 71 inches, to end of claws 11, to end of wings
to. carpal joint 2; ; extent of wings ; wing from flexure 4 : ; bill
vol.. IV. u