A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.

George Montagu

Date:: 1866

Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

33/440 page 5

$most northern parts of the tdngdom; is said to breed in the isle of St. Kilda. Like tlie rest of this genus, it lays only one egg, white, soinetiines in-egularlj’’ marked with purplish lines, or blotched with ferrugi- nous and black at the larger end; length six inches. AprEXDix. — This species appeal’s to have become extremely rare on the north coast of Britain. The natives in the Ork- nies informed j\Ir. Bullock, in his late tour through those islands, that one male only had made his appeai’ance for a long time, which had reguhu’ly visited Papa Westra for several years. The female (which the natives call the Queen of the Auks) was killed just before Mr. Bullock’s arrival. The King, or male, Mr. Bullock had the pleasure of chasing, for several houi’s, in a six oai’ed boat, but without being able to IdU him, for though he frequently got neai- him, so expert was the bu’d in its natural element, that it appeared impossible to shoot him. The rapidity with which he pursued his course under water, was almost incredible. Auk, Little,— [Yarrell, iii. 4C8 ; Hewit- soii, cxxvii. 465.] Alca Alle, Lin. Syst. i. p. 211, 5 ; Gmcl. Syst. ii. p. 554. Mergu- lus melanoleucos rostro acuto brevi, Raii Syn. p. 125, A. 5; Will. p. 2G1, t. 59. Small black and white Diver, Will. Angl. p. 343; Edw. t. 91. Greenland Dove, Albin, i. t. 85. Le petit Guillemot, Buf. ix. p. 354. Little Auk, Br. Zool. ii. No. 233, t. 82; Ibid. fol. 137, t. H. 4, f. 1; Arct. Zool. ii. t. 429; Lath. Syn. v. p. 327, 11; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 795, 10; Lewin, Br. Birds, vi. t. 223; Wale. Syn. i. t. 88; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 17. Uria minor, Bris. vi. p. 73, 2 ; Ib. 8vo, ii. p. 378. Little black and white Diver, Greenland Dove, or Sea- Turtle, Bewick, B. Birds, ii. fig.' p. 172. Provincial: in Zetland is called Eochie, Botch, or Eatch. — In size this bird rather exceeds the Blackbird; length near nine inches. Bill black, short, strong, and somewhat rounded in shape. The plumage is generally black above and white beneath, with the tips of the se- condorj- quiU-feathers white ; sometimes the scapulars are mixed with white; in others the head and neck is black. Whe- ther any of these varieties are owing to sex or age is not ascertained: it is said the throat of the mole is black. It is not frequently met with in England, but is common in Greenland, where it breeds, and is said to lay two eggs; if so, it differs from others of the genus, which usually lay but one; these are larger than those of a pigeon, of a bluish white. Supplement.—The birrls of this species that visit Great Britain in the autumnal and winter months, most certainly come from the more nortliern parts of Europe, like the preceding, and very few, if any, breed with us except iu the northern parts of Scot- land. They retire from the frozen shores of Greenland and Spitzbei'gen; but re- main contented where they can obtain food from the liquid element, and conse- quently few migrate so far as the southern parts of England. Muller and Fabricius are evidences of the northern habits of this bird ; tlie latter speaks of their being plentiful, and states that they lay two eggs the size of those of a pigeon, white tinted with blue. A variety is mentioned that is totally white, and another with a red breast. Since we last treated of this bird, three specimens have come under examination that were taken in the South of England in the winter; one on the 4th of December, in the year 1804, another on the 25th of November, 1805, and the third on the 17th of Januarj', 1806. These were dissected in order to discover the sex, with a view to ascertain if there was any sexual difference in the plumage, it having been said that the throat of the male was black. The first of these proved to be a male, the description of which is as follows. Length eight inches and a half. Upper pai’t of the head black, taking iu the eyes (which are whitish); the sides of the head are wliite, which runs backwai’d and forms a nai’row band across the nape, sprinlded with dusky; but immediately above the eye is a small white spot: the whole under parts white ; the chin and fore part of the neck speckled dusky; the intermediate pai’t or throat pure white : scapulars with four or five white streaks, or mai’ks disposed in longitudinal lines: the thighs are mixed with a few black feathers: the upper pai’ts of the plumage are of the usual black colour, and the secondai’y quills tipped with white: legs and feet dusky. This was found dead near tlie coast in the South of Devon. The second was found dead near Bridgewater, in Somersetshire, and difi’ered in nothing from the former but in sex. The thii’d was taken alive iu a pool of fresh water close to the estuary of Kingsbridge, in Devonshii’e, from which by reason of some defect it did not attempt to rise; and refusing aU sustenance died the next day. In this there was no per- ceptible difference in plumage from the others, and consequently the sex was not attended to, or at least not noted. The little Auk has sometimes been found dead very remote from the sea. The Eev. Mr. Dalton, of Copgi’ove, near Knnresborough, in Yorksliire, assures us that both the Alca alle and Procellaria pclagica have been found near his house. Whether these were driven by storms, or attempted 0$