HA R D WICKE' S S CIENCE- G O SSI P. 



243 



proves to be a most beautiful structure, even among 

 the magnificent flora of the carboniferous age. I 

 hope to return to this subject at some future time, 

 and to describe this new feature of Astromyelon, 

 Halifax. 



THE COMMON GUILLEMOT {.URIA 

 TROILE). 



PERHAPS, after perusing the following, your 

 readers may be inclined to think I should 

 rather have applied to mine, its other well-known 

 sobriquet of foolish guillemot ! The bird came into 

 my possession under the following circumstances : — 

 Some fishermeri had their lines out at the mouth of 

 Peel Harbour (I. O. J^L) about mid-day of 24th of 

 May last. Large whelks or " buckles " formed the 

 bait. Many birds were engaged in the same pursuit, 

 each in its own manner. The guillemot swimming 

 below may have been attracted by the bait, or perhaps 

 by a small fish that had just swallowed the bait. 

 Certain it is that the fisherman was surprised when 

 he drew in his line to discover a bird when he looked 

 for a fish ! She was given to me, and I took her to 

 Ramsey the same day. 



Very wild she was, and very ready to make use of 

 her strong sharp bill. I was able to get some fresh 

 gibbons, or sand eels, which she enjoyed. In three 

 days she was sufficiently tame to come to me when 

 called, and to eat out of my hand, and would let me 

 stroke her or carry her without biting my fingers. I 

 thought if she were put into water she would dive ; 

 but though I tried fresh water and salt, and though I 

 threw in some glittering gibbons, she would not put 

 her head under, but struggled out immediately. Her 

 short wings did not permit her to fly, and even when 

 I allowed her to fall from a height of a few feet she 

 dropped heavily on her breast. She was allowed to 

 run about as she pleased, but when let out always 

 wanted to get back to her house. She seemed greatly 

 to dislike the sun, and when wet preferred to preen 

 her feathers in the shade, rather than dry them in the 

 heat of the sun. If she could not get gibbons (and 

 she would only eat them if they were fresh), she would 

 be satisfied with raw meat, the more juicy the better. 

 I tried whiting, but she would only eat it if cut into 

 small pieces ; once she was persuaded to eat a large 

 earthworm, but only once ; a snail also was taken, but 

 a second refused, nor could I persuade her to eat 

 bread. 



In a very few days she had grown so tame as to 

 come into the house, and disliked to be turned out. 

 If placed upon anything that was raised, she would 

 let herself fall off, fluttering her little wings, and 

 coming down heavily on her breast. Her claws were 

 sharp and very strong, and I could see how useful they 

 would be to her in climbing up the steep rocks out of 

 the sea when she would be going to roost ; the wings 



also helped her greatly in climbing, and the tail 

 slightly. In moving from one place to another she 

 wabbled in a ludicrously solemn manner, setting the 

 whole metatarsus on the ground at each step, but 

 sometimes, and especially after a bath, she would move 

 more quickly, resting only the palmed foot on the 

 ground, and sometimes she would try to raise herself 

 higher, by standing as it were on tip-toe, resting on 

 the extreme joints of her toes. 



About a fortnight after her capture I was sitting 

 one evening alone in the house; "GiUie" had just 

 been fed, and was comfortably sleeping before the 

 kitchen fire, with two drowsy dogs for company. 

 After some time I heard curious noises on the stair- 

 case, and, at once divining the cause, opened my 

 door. Gillie was coming to pay me a visit j I took 

 no notice of her as she came slowly wabbling into 

 the room, straight to my feet, as a dog might do. 

 Then she took a survey of the premises, till I lifted 

 her on to a window-sill. She could not understand 

 the glass, and pecked it savagely ; this amused her 

 for some time, but growing tired of it or wishing to 

 attract notice, she got from the window-sill to my 

 bureau, and placing herself in the midst of some 

 loose papers began to prune her plumage and clap 

 her wings with an air of great satisfaction. I could 

 not trust her here for long, however, so set her on 

 the stairs again ; the descent was not so easy, and 

 she had to flutter down. 



After this I kept her in a house with a merlin 

 and a young peregrine. The little merlin perched 

 on a peg driven into the wall, and rested on one 

 foot, holding up the other, almost buried in the 

 soft feathers of her breast ; the peregrine sat on the 

 top of a hamper, her flabby feet sprawled out and 

 seemed with difficulty to support her big body ; the 

 guillemot chose the darkest corner, and lay on the 

 ground behind the hamper. At night I frequently 

 found her roosting as a duck would do, with her 

 breast on the ground ; sometimes, but very seldom, 

 she would lie so in the day-time, and I should suppose 

 these birds hatch their solitary eggs in this position, 

 and not as I've seen stated in print, by sitting upright 

 over them ! When Gillie had been three weeks in 

 captivity, I thought she should be allowed her liberty, 

 for, though very tame and apparently contented, I 

 felt she must miss the sea. I would have taken her 

 away to the rocks, but the weather prevented, so I 

 carried her one morning to the end of the breakwater. 

 I set her on the rail, stroked her and bid her farewell. 

 She gave a good look all around, then, stretching 

 her wings, she let herself drop, fluttering 'rather than 

 flying out to sea, her black feet stretched out behind 

 her, gradually lowering herself till her breast touched 

 the water. Then swimming out slowly she soon had 

 some gannets to keep her company. In about 

 twenty minutes I turned for a last look at her, and 

 was surprised to see her coming back. She certainly 

 was coming back, and increased her speed as she 



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