Briffion’s figure feems in a ftate prior to both of thefe, as in
that the forehead is likewife white*.
In the firft ftate, then, it fliould feem that the bill is fmall, and
quite deftitute o f furrows+5 in the next, a fmall furrow at
the b a fe j; in the third, the furrows complete, but without
the white ftreak either acrofs the bill, or that between the bafe
of it and the eye § ; and laftly, both o f them complete, with the
addition of the black plumage of the head j which, as we have
proved, does not come on till the ftage of perfei5tion||. What-,
ever has therefore been faid under the head of the Razor-bill,
muft be applicable to this ; and that it breeds before it comes to its
perfe&ion in plumage Ihould feem not improbable, as Fabricius
politively mentions the circumftance f . It is faid to be met with
on the coaft of the IJle o f Candia, and other parts of the Mediterranean;
where no doubt the complete old bird is likewife
found, as I have been informed that they are common in the
Bay of Gibraltar, where it is curious to fee their aftivity under
water when'purfuing thefifh ; for, as the water in the Bay is fome-
times clear for a great depth from the furface, thefe birds may
be often feen as it were flying after-their prey, with all the
agility of a bird in the air, turning in every dire&ion after the
fifh , with fuch wonderful addrefs and dexterity as feldom to mifs
their aim**.
* Vol. vi. pi. 8. fig. 2.' t Alca deleta, Brun. N° 1 0 4 Muller, p. 17.
t Unifulcata, Brim. 102; § Balthica, id. 101. U See the bills in
the firft and laft llages, Four in Wales, vol. ii. pi, 20. at the bottom.
41 Faun. Groeul. p. 79.— He obferves that they are in greater plenty in Green-
land than the Razor-bills, in the breeding-feafon, and that they difperfe in winter.
* We are indebted to Colonel Davies for this laft anecdote.
Alca
Alca criftatella, Pall. Spic. v. p. 18. t. 3. and
Black Stariki, Hiß. Kamt. p. 156,
Crefted Auk, Arcs. Zool. N° 434.
CRESTED Ai
P l .X C V . F io. 4,
g I Z E of the M ijfe l Thrufh : length twelve inches. The bill D e SCRIPTION*
Ihaped fomewhat like that of the Puffin, but the upper mandible
more hooked at the tip, and the feathers of the chin produced
half way on the under one: at the angle o f the mouth a
callous flap s the colour of that and the bill crimfon; tip of the
laft yellow : the head is rather fmall j and on the forehead is an
upright creft compofed of long feathers, which curve forwards as
in the Crefted G ra k le* : eyes fmall, under them a line of white, and
behind them a ftreak compofed of four or five flender white-feathers
: the head and neck black: the back the fame, marked with
ferruginous brown fpots, changing into hoary on the rump : the
under parts of a dulky brown : the wings reach to the bafe of
the tail, which is black, and confifts of fourteen feathers j the
outmoft but one ferruginous at the t ip ; the outer one marked
with indiftinft white dots : legs livid : webs dulky.
This fpecies inhabits the iflands contiguous to Japan. One of Flacs;
thefe, in the colledtion of Sir Jofeph Banks, came from Bird IJland,
between Afia and America. It fleeps of nights in burrows on
Ihore, and fiflures of rocks, from whence it is often taken by
hand, with other birds of this ftupid race.
* See vol. i. p. 464. of this Work.
T t a Ale*
!ÜS