586 Natural Historic in Ireland, 



C. Trolley Guillemot, s.p, c * "I ^'Ica arctica, Puffin, s.p, c. 



minor. Lesser guillemot, a.p, c J Pica, Black-billed auk, < 



Gryllcy Black guillemot, re, c 1 Torda^ Razor-bill, s.p, c 



Spotted guillemot J 



much smaller numbers than glacialis, compared with I'mmery is, that both 

 stellatus and septentrionalis leave this country much earlier than the 

 others, and consequently before the period when, like stellatus, Fmmer 

 would have assumed the plumage of maturity. Like I'mvier, they also vary 

 much in size, which has induced Bewick to mention three varieties of the 

 speckled diver. One which I sent to the Dublin Royal Society, corre- 

 sponding with his second variety, is several inches shorter than two in my 

 collection. 



* The valuable testimony of Edmonstone, who has so thoroughly inves- 

 tigated the subject, renders it almost unnecessary for future ornithologists 

 to say much more to establish the identity of Colymbus Troile and minor, 

 and of ^'Ica Torda and Pica ; yet, as Montagu (whose opinion the British 

 naturalist ought so justly to respect) has so ingeniously supported the 

 opposite opinion, and as I have had particularly good opportunities of 

 observing these birds, I am unwilling to neglect adding my testimony to 

 that of Edmonstone and Temminck. By the unprejudiced enquirer, the 

 evidence of experience, in subjects of this nature, will always be preferred 

 to the most elaborate reasoning of the scientific ; for it is by this test alone 

 that the value and correctness of their conclusion can ultimately be esti- 

 mated, and it is to it they must ultimately themselves have recourse. The 

 principal ground on which Montagu forms his opinion of their being 

 distinct is, the inferior size of the body and bill of C. minor ; which cir- 

 cumstance universally prevailing, if he succeeded in proving the maturity 

 of the bird, would undoubtedly have warranted the conclusion he has 

 drawn. As he however fails, I think, in doing so ; and as we find, in almost 

 all instances, though often not very apparent, that young birds are inferior 

 in both these respects to the parent bird ; and as in spring (precisely at 

 that period when the young bird would in these respects have attained 

 nearly to the perfection of the old one) I have met with minor having the 

 bill as long though not quite so hard^ with the same indentures in it, and 

 the body as large as any foolish guillemot I ever saw, of which, soon 

 afterwards, there are immense numbers all along this coast; I think it will 

 be admitted as strong proof against the views of those who maintain the 

 opinions of Montagu, who would, I am sure, have, on more extended 

 examination, admitted the incorrectness of his first opinions on this sub- 

 ject. 



f The same reasons have led me to a similar conclusion respecting 

 A'XcB. Torda and Pica. I have been enabled, by procuring many speci- 

 mens of the latter, at different periods during winter and the early part of 

 spring, to trace uninterruptedly the change from the immature plumage of 

 Pica to the perfect garb of Torda ; and in one specimen of the former, 

 killed late in spring, the bill was nearly as large as in the latter, and much 

 larger than in those killed previously to it in winter : the white stroke from 

 the eye to the bill, and the white line on the upper mandible, were also 

 pretty distinctly marked. These periodical distinctions I have always 

 found coincident with the advance of the season. 



