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.

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$to cross the land from one sea to tlie other, is difficnlt to detennine. There can he no donbt that this species, and per- haps some others of the tribe of Auks and Guillemots, appear in a different plumage in winter than what they assume in sum- mer, particulai-ly about the head. Those who have described this species from spe- cimens taken in the breedmg season, have informed us that the head and neck are black; whereas those taken in vdnter have the throat, under paid of the neck, and cheeks invariably white. This opinion has been confirmed by a physiological friend, the Eev. Mr. Fleming, whose station in Zetland has enabled him to attend to the habits of some of our more northern bh’ds. This gentleman assures us, that the Little Auk visits Zetland in the \^dnter, and that then they ail have the white about the head and neck; but that specimens in his possession, shot in Greenland in the sum- mer, had those parts black, with a small white spot over the eye, which last is com- mon at all seasons. It is this periodical change of plumage that has caused so much controversy with respect to another species of this genus, as well as of some of the Guillemots, the white ports about the head and neck ha%ung been by some inju- diciously considered as the criterion of infancy. But it is a most unnatural sup- position that the young and the old birds shovdd have a general seijaration in the autumn, because in the winter all that are noticed on our coasts possess more or less white on those parts. This circumstance alone should rather be adduced as a pre- sumptive eridence that other bii-ds of this kind have a periodical change of plumage twice- in the year, since it is by no means a peculiar property. The BlackbUled Auk and Lesser Guillemot (both of which are only found in this country during the winter, when the others leave us, and which have similar markings about the head and neck to those of the Little Auk) probably have those parts black, on their return to the arctic regions to breed. But of this more is said in its proper iDlace. [Auk, Razorbilled,]—Eazorbill.— [Yar- rell, h. 470 ; Hewitson, cxxviii. 408]. Alca Torda, Lin. Syst. i. p. 210, 1; Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 551; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 793, 5 ; Bris. vi. p. 892, t. 8, f. 1; Ib. 8vo, ii. p. 83. Alca Hoieri, Raii Syn. p. 119, A. 3; Will. p. 243, t. 04, 05. Le Pingoin, Buf. ix. p. 390, t. 27. EazorbiU, Auk, hlurre, Br. Zool. ii. No. 230, t. 82; Ih. fol. 130; Edw. t. 358, f. 2; Lath. Syn. v. p. 319; Ib. Sup. p. 204 ; Leioin, Br. Birds, vi. t. 224; Bon. Br. Birds, iii. t. 04; Wale. Syn. i. t. 84; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 17. Auk, Murre, Falk, Marrot, Scout, BewicT^, ii. t. p. 104. Provincial: in Zetland is called Hiogga; Sea-crow: Bawkie ; Aik, or Oke ; Falk.— This species of Auk weighs about twenty- seven ounces; length eighteen inches. Bill two inches long from the coi-ner of the mouth, much compressed sideways ; three-quarters of an inch deep at the largest part, much arched, and hooked at the end of the upiier mandible ; it is fm-nished vith three transverse furrows; the middle one is white, and crosses the whole bill; hides light hazel. The head, chin, throat, and whole upper parts, are dusky black, with a strong tinge of a rusty hue on the sides of the head and throat; the quill-feathers are also dashed -with cinereous on the outer webs; the greater coverts and secondaries tipped vith white, forming a narrow band across the ving; from the ridge of the upper mandible is a naiTow hne of white feathers, which continue to the eye on each side ; the under parts from the breast ai-e white; the tail is cuneiform, consisting of twelve pointed feathers, the two middle of wliich exceed the rest considerably in length; legs duslcj' black. We have, in the former pai’t of this work, expressed an opinion that this and the BlockbiUed Auk ai-e dis- tinct species, contrary to the opinion of so able an ornithologist therein mentioned ; for which we have given reasons. 'The gradation in plumage and in the marks on the bill that author mentions in his ‘ Synopsis,’ which he considers as the different stages of the j'oung of this bii-d before it arrives at matmity, would have shaken our opinion; but we have recently procured the young in the month of July, before they could fly, which differed in nothing from the old birds except in wanting the fuiTows on the bill. From this circumstance we can have little doubt but that they are distinct species. (See Auk, BlackbiUed.) The Eazorbill is not seen with us in v-inter, but repairs to our rocky coasts in the spring, and begins to deposit its single egg the beginning of May (which is of a dirty white, blotched and spotted with brown and dusky), on the projecting shelves of the highest cliffs, where, in some situations, they may be seen hundreds in a row, but not, as we have been informed, cemented to the sur- face ; for we have frequently taken them up, and laid them again in the same spot, A violent gale of wind sometimes sweeps away whole ranks. The egg is of a pro- digious size in proportion to the bird, being about the size of that of a Turkey, of a longer shape. The principal food of tins bird is small flsh, particularly sprats, with which it feeds its young, taking three or fom- at a time in its bill, -with the tails hanging out. The eggs of this and the$