PALMIPEDES, 405 



Uria, Briss. et Illig.(l) 



The Guillemots have a bill, which, though of the general form 

 of the preceding, is covered with feathers down to the nostrilsj there 

 is also an emargination at the point which is somewhat arcuated. 

 Their chief character, however, consists in the absence of the thumb. 

 Their wings, much shorter than those of the divers, scarcely enable 

 them to flutter. They feed on fish, crabs, &c. and are found among 

 rocky precipices when they breed. 



The large species called the Great Guillemot, Colymbus troile, 

 L., Enl. 9035 Brit. ZooL, pi. H; Edw. 359, 1; Frisch, 185, is 

 the size of a Duck, the head and neck brown, back and wings 

 blackish, and a white bellyj there is a white line upon the wing 

 formed by the tips of the secondary quills. It inhabits the ex- 

 treme North, although it breeds on the rocky coasts of England 

 and Scotland. In very hard winters it is seen on those of 

 France. 



There is a smaller species which is black, with the upper 

 part of the wing white, Col. Grylle, L.j Vieill. Gal. 294; Choris., 

 Voy. aut. du M., Isles Aleut., pi. xxii, sometimes mottled 

 throughout with white, C. marmoratus^ Frisch, Suppl. B., pi. 

 185, Edw. 50 and Penn., Arct. ZooL, II, xxii, 2. Individuals 

 are sometimes seen, all white, C. lacteolus, Pall. (2) 

 We may also separate from the Guillemots the 



Cephus,(3) 

 Vulgarly called Greenland Divers, which have a shorter bill with 

 a more arcuated back, but without any emargination. The symphysis 

 of the lower mandible is extremely short. Their wings are larger, 

 and the membranes of their feet well indented. 



The species most known, called the Little Guillemot or Green- 

 land Dove, Colymbus minor, Gm.j Enl. 9I7j Mergulus Me, 

 Vieill. Gal. 295; Brit. Zool. pi. H, 4, f. 1; Edw. 91; Naum. 

 Ed. I, 65, f. 102, is the size of a large Pigeon, black above, 



(1) Uria, the Greek, or rather Latin name of an aquatic bird which appears to 

 have been either a Diver or a Grebe. Gndllemot, the English name, would seem 

 to indicate its stupidity. 



(2) Add the G. a grosbec [Uria Brunnichii, Sabine), Choris, Voy. aut. du M. pi. 

 xxi; Uria lacrymans, Lapil., lb., XXIII consult the article inserted there on this 

 genus by M. Valenciennes. 



(3) Cephus, the name of some sea bird often mentioned by the Greek writers, 

 which appears to have been a species of Petrel or Gull. Moehring, and subse- 

 quently Pallas, applied it to the Divers and Guillemots. Vieillot has changed it 

 into Mergulus, Gal. 295. 



