Species 2.-The Puffin. Puffin, Coulterneb, Wil. Orn. 325. Raii Syn. Av. 120. Alca Artica, Lin. Sys. 211. Anas arctica Clusii, Sib. Scot. 20. tab. 16. fig. 1. Brit. Zool. 405. Coulterneb, Mart. West. Isles, 25.? Avis narina Sea Coulter dicta, Sib. Scot. 22.? Orc. Tommy-noddy, Tommy. FOUND very frequent with congenerous birds in our rocks; builds its nest under ground; like the others lays but one egg. The dimensions of those found in Hoy-head are the following: Length twelve inches, breadth twenty-two, weight thirteen ounces; the bill is much compressed, with three furrows, the fore-part of it is red, parted with a white line from a grayish root, which runs up the forehead, forming a ridge and a very sharp angle; the root of the bill is encompassed with a narrow whitish-coloured skin, pierced full of small holes or points; at the corner of each jaw is a piece of naked yellow skin; the nostrils are long and narrow, looking downwards; the eyes are fine, sparkling, and sharp while alive, the irides dusky, and the edges of the eyelids red; on the eyelids are two odd naked callosities, which together form a triangle, as the upper one is of itself, the like not to be found in any other bird round these isles which has come to my knowledge*. Both * I just now have a bird of this species in my possession, which weighs halfa-pound: wants the callosities at the eyelids, and the narrow rim round the bill. This was found drove on shore, Dec. 20. 1775. In other respects it differs not from the above description. the cheeks and round the eyes are gray, under the chin a little darker; from the eyes runs a remarkable parting of the feathers, very visible while the bird is alive, but soon obliteraten when it is dead; the top of the head, whole upper side of the body, wings, and tail, are black, with a collar of the same round the neck; the breast and belly white; the inside of the wings dusky; the legs and feet are yellow, with black claws, the innermost of which is much hooked; the tail short and rounded. This, too, is one of the birds for which our rock-men venture life and limbs. The flesh is very rank and fishy tasted. It takes flight with great difficulty, and is often run down with boats, but can fly very well when it once gets wing. Our people take these from their holes with a stick, at the point of which is an iron hook; but they must take great care both of this and the former, for they bite very severely, and the form of the bill makes the impression still more strong. I have observed many of this species drove ashore in a sudden storm, that is, when caught suddenly in a gale of wind, which is a further proof of the difficulty they have to take wing from a level; indeed, all the motions of the sea-birds, except swimming, are extremely awkward. Species 3.-The Little Auk. Little Black Auk, Black and White Diver, Wil. Orn. 343. Raii Syn. Av. 125. Alca Alle, Lin. Sys. 211. Brit. Zool. Illust. tab. 19. fig. 1. Var. THIS bird I met with preserved in a small collection belonging to a young lady in this country, and am informed it is to be found pretty frequent round the rocks. The bill was but little compressed, thick, short and strong, pretty much of the shape of that of the grosbeaks; its colour black. Like the rest of the genus the whole upper side was black; the throat and belly white; the sides of the neck white, spotted with black; the legs covered with whitish scales; the webs in that I saw white. The dimensions I could not take, nor the weight, as it was a stuffed skin I took these notes from GENUS XXVII.-THE GUILLEMOTE. Gen. Char-Bill slender, strong, pointed, the upper mandible slightly bending towards the end, base covered with short feathers; nostrils lodged in a hollow near the base; tongue slender, almost the length of the bill; toes, no back toe. Species 1.-The Guillemote. Guillem, Guillemot, Skout, Kiddaw, or Sea-Hen, Wil. Orn. 324. Raii Syn. Av. 120. Colymbus Troile, Lin. Sys. 220. Brit. Zool. 410. Orc. Skout. THIS bird is found with its neighbours in the rocks in great flocks. Like the rest of this kind they lay but one egg, but this is very large and beautiful. Those I had brought me from Hoy-head agreed with Mr Pennant's description in every particular, only those I found to be cocks were of a deeper black and clearer white than the others, or females. Our rock-men catch vast numbers of these, and salt them for winter or summer provision, but they are all very rank and fishy. Mr Pennant says they are very simple birds, and though shot at, or see their companions drop beside them, they will not quit their station on the rock *. *Since writing the above, I have seen several instances of their stupidity in Species 2.-The Black Guillemote. Raii Syn. Av. 121. Turtur Greenland Dove, or Sea-Turtle, Wil. Orn. 326. Maritimus insulæ Bass, Sib. Hist. Fife, 46. 220. Brit. Zool. 412. Brit. Zool. Illus. tab. 20. fig. 2. Columba Groenlandica, the Sea Turtle-Dove, Sib. Scot. 20. Orc. Taisté. Toisté, Wallace. THIS Guillemote differs in its history from the rest; they all go off from us in the winter season, leaving our rocks bare and barren, but this keeps constantly with us for the whole year, continually to be found in our sounds, fishing all weathers. The length of this species is fifteen inches and a half, breadth twenty-two, weight ounces; the bill is slender, but strong and sharp, the colour black; the whole inside of the mouth of a deep orange-red; the whole plumage is black, except the speculum of the wing and the inner coverts, with a very small spot under each eye, which are all white. In this, as well as all the water-fowl, the feathers are very thick and close, always damp with the quantity of oil which the bird takes care to anoint them with, to keep off the cold andwater. This gives the feathers a very rank smell, and makes them unfit for the purposes of bedding, for which they would allowing themselves to come so near the boats, as to be knocked down with an oar or boat-hook. They continue in Orkney throughout the winter. * Avis parva præpinguis in Orcadibus Tyst dicta.-Vide Sib. Scot. 22. |