ORDER VII-WITH PINNATED FEET.

GENUS XXIV.—PHALAROPE.

Gen. Char.-Bill strait, slender; nostrils minute; tongue, body, and legs in every respect like the sandpipers.

Species 1.-The Red Scollop-toed Sandpiper.

Mr Johnson's small cloven-footed Gull, Wil. Orn. 355. Larus fidipes alter nostras, Raii Syn. Av. 132. Tringa hyperborea, Lin. Sys. 249. Brit. Zool. 391. Brit. Zool. Illus. 67. tab. 75.

THIS bird I have never seen, but am informed it is sometimes met with in the Orkneys. Mr Pennant takes notice of one shot in Stronsay in 1769. I have heard of several other examples, but have never yet had the good fortune to meet with one. The following description of this bird is from the British Zoology :

"It is the size of a purre; bill an inch long, straight to near "the end, which bends a little downwards; crown of the head, hind part of the neck, back, scapulars, and coverts "of the wings, of a deep lead-colour; the back and scapulars stripped with a dirty yellow; across the greater coverts is a line of white; throat white; under part and sides of the

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"neck of a bright ferrugineous; breast of a deep cinereous ;

belly white; tail short and cinereous; legs black; the toes "not webbed together, but bordered on each side with late"ral membranes, scolloped and elegantly serrated."—Vol. IV. p. 67.

GENUS XXV.—THE GREBE KIND.

Gen. Char.-Bill strong, slender, sharp-pointed; nostrils linear; tongue slightly cloven at the end; body depressed; feathers thick set, compact, and very smooth and glossy; tail, none; wings short; legs placed very far behind, very thin, or much compressed, doubly serrated behind; toes furnished on each side with a broad plain membrane.

Species 1.-The White and Dusky Grebe.

Brit. Zool. 397. Brit. Zool. Illus. tab. 17. fig. 1*.

THIS is the only species of Grebe I know of, an inhabitant of the Orkneys. It is found in our bays, lochs, and puddles of fresh-water, at all times of the year; builds in the grassy loch of Aikerness with the water-hen; makes its nest among the weeds. Stays all seasons; builds with us.

The bill, in two specimens I lately examined, was about an inch long, strong, and sharp; the head small, and covered

* Called in South Ronaldsha little footy-arse.

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with dusky feathers; the back and whole upper side of the body was an uniform dusky-black; the throat and breast bay; the feathers of the cheeks remarkably full; the belly silvercoloured, insomuch that that part looked like a piece of fine white satin; it had no tail, instead of it were two or three small feathers without webs; the feet were placed very far back; the legs thin; the toes divided into lobes; the claws broad, something resembling those of the fingers of the human body.

It can fly, but is not easily raised from the water; dives most excellently, continuing a long while under water; and if it is frighted, or dreads danger, sets up nothing more but its head and part of its small neck.

I once shot a bird of this kind in the Orkneys, which I took for the "Colymbus Podiceps,”—Lin. Sys. 223, but am persuaded since it was but a younger bird of this species.

These are found in the sea, as well as in fresh waters. Linnæus tell us this species makes its nest amongst the reeds, which Mr Pennant confirms of another of the same genus, which often floats clear of them into the lake, when the owner is said to steer it with its feet, which pass through

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The bird above described lives on fish, and is perpetually diving in search of these; perhaps, like its congeners, it can feed too on water-plants. How many eggs it lays I cannot say, having never seen the nest.

ORDER VIII.-WEB-FOOTED BIRDS.

GENUS XXVI.—THE AUK KIND.

Gen. Char.-Bill strong, thick, convex, compressed; nostrils linear, placed near the edge of the mandible; tongue almost as long as the bill; toes, no back

toe.

Those with thick bills. **Those with slender bills.

Species 1.-The Auk.

Razorbill, Auk, Murre, Wil. Orn. 323. Raii Syn. Av. 119. The Marrot, Sib. Hist. Fife, 48. Alca Torda, Lin. Syst. 210. Brit. Zool. 403. Brit. Zool. Illus. tab. 19. fig. 2. Orc. Baukie.

THESE birds are very common in all the headlands and high rocks round the country; they come here in March, and fill the whole shelves of the rocks in breeding-time; lay but one large egg, either on the bare rock, or I have seen them, where there was any earth in the interstices, make a small hollow, wherein they placed their single egg; but this is seldom, and when it is the case they take no pains to line it

with any soft materials as other birds; but it is more ordinary with them to place their egg on the bare shelf of the rock, where, no doubt, the heat of the sun beating on it, and reflected from the rock, is greatly assisting to hatch it.

The description of those I had from Hoy-head is as follows: The length eighteen inches, the breadth twenty-six ; the weight twenty-four ounces; the bill strong, sharp, and cutting, straight to the point, when both mandibles crook a little downwards, but the uppermost is much compressed, and the upper mandible is crossed by four transverse grooves, the lower with three, the broadest of which is a white, and crosses both; the inside of the mouth a fine pale yellow; the bill runs pretty far up, and at the angle begins a narrow white line, which runs to each eye; the gape of the mouth is wide, and where the feathers begin the bill is as it were bordered; the head, part of the throat, the whole upper side of the body (except the points of the lesser quill-feathers of the wings, which are white, and form a white stripe) is black; the tail consists of pointed feathers, which are often much wore by the birds sitting on the rocks; the whole under side of the body, as also the insides of the wings, is white; the legs and feet are black, and webbed to the claws.

Both birds and eggs are eaten by our country people, who venture over the most dreadful precipices for them; the latter, eaten with salt, pepper, and vinegar, are very good, but the flesh of the birds themselves is rank and fishy tasted.