Mr. Selby on the Birds of the Farn Islands. 459 



being very bad walkers, are subject to frequent accidents in the 

 poultry yard. Like all the Anatidce^ possessing a lobated hind 

 toe, they dive with facility, and remain submerged for a long 

 time. 



Fam. ALCADiE. Vigors. 

 Genus. Uria. Briss. 



Uria Troile, Lath. Ind. 2. p. 796. 1. 



Colymbus Troile, Linn. Syst. 1. 220. 2. Gmel. Syst. 1. 585. 



minor, Gmel. 1. 585. sp. 14. 



Guillemot a capuchon. Temm. Man. d'ornith. 2. 921. 



Foolish Guillemot. Lath. Syn. 6. 329. 1. Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 

 No. 234. 



Lesser Guillemot. Penn. Arct. Zool. supp. 69. 



A numerous colony of this well known species breeds upon the 

 summits of the Pinnacles, three fine isolated pillars, or masses of 

 rock, detached about 20 yards from Staple Island. They make 

 no nest, but their solitary egg, which is of a peculiar shape, being 

 very narrow and pointed at one end, broad and round at the 

 other, which form prevents it from rolling to any distance, is laid 

 upon the bare rock. Incubation lasts for one month, and the 

 birds, from their conformation, are obliged to sit in an upright 

 position. The young when excluded, are covered with a close 

 down, of a blackish grey above and white below. They remain 

 upon the rocks till fledged, which is in about a month from the 

 time of hatching. The parent birds supply them plentifully with 

 Herring Sprats (Clupea Sprattus) the principal food of this as well 

 as other species belonging to the Alcadce, The adults lose the 

 black throat early in autumn, and as well as the young are then 

 known as the Colymbus minor or lesser Guillemot of authors. 



Genus Alca, Linn. 



Aka torda. Linn. 1. 210. 1. Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 551. Lath. Ind. 



2. 793. sp. 5. 

 Alca Pica. Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 551. 

 Pingouin macroptere. Temm. Man, d'ornith. 2. 936. 



