ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 147 



males."*' Again, of the two birds now before me, the tips of the quills of 

 the wings of the one are bordered with white, that is, from the outside margin 

 of the feathers all across their extremities, whereas, the other bird has nothing- 

 of that description. I would again ask, how is this? They are both males^ 

 yet here is a decided and visible difference. In the stomach of one of the 

 present individuals, the other being entirely empty, I found the remains of a 

 number of insects, chiefly beetles. The stomach of one which I dissected lately, 

 I found crammed with rowans, or the berries of the mountain ash, together 

 with a few seeds of the dog-hip, or the fruit of the common dog-rose, [Bosa 

 eanina.) From these facts it would appear that these birds live on insects 

 as well as berries and seeds, unless, indeed, the one in question had been 

 driven to it from sheer necessity; but this could hardly be t'he case, if the 

 weather be taken into account. The term, Bohemian Waxwing, is frequently 

 given to this bird, whereas, in fact, it has no more to do with Bohemia 

 than it has to do with Scotland; perhaps appearing in the latter as frequently 

 as in the former, if not oftener. One of its names in Germany is Scknce 

 vogel, which means snow-bird, the belief being, that they visit Germany from 

 some hyperborean region. 



Some three weeks ago, I had brought to me a fine specimen of what, 

 (though it is nearly white,) is called the Black Guillemot, in its complete 

 winter dress, which is nearly of a uniform gray colour. By the way, might 

 not this bird, the Uria fjnjlle, now in question, be termed the Red-legged 

 Guillemot, as these members do not change their vermillion at any season 

 after maturity? One would then be able, with justice, to call any bird of 

 the species by a suitable title, at whatever period of the year it was presented 

 to him. On Friday, the same remarkable day, I had another specimen sent 

 me from a friend in Fraserburgh, to which I can with all due propriety 

 give the title of Black Guillemot, as it is decidedly of that colour, except 

 the customary almost snow-white patch on the wings, and the bright vermillion 

 red feet and legs. Whilst in this plumage, they are said to be in their 

 summer or nuptial dress. It is stated in works on ornithology, that they 

 change from black to a dull white, the wings excepted, mixed with dark 

 streaks in the end of autumn or beginning of winter, resuming the black 

 colour in spring. Do all Black Guillemots undergo this change? If so, they 

 certainly change from the dress of winter to that of summer with extraordinary 

 rapidity, if I may be allowed to judge from the striking difference between 

 the two birds alluded to, and the short time which elapsed betwixt the first 

 and the present one coming under my notice. Having laid the present 

 specimen, a male, on a table, and having, by accident, looked at it in a 

 slanting direction, I was surprised at observing a beautiful greenish purple-like 



*Another specimen, a female, which I have received from Delgaty since "writing the above, 

 has also seven waxen tags on the wing. The quills, except the two first, are also bordered 

 with white. The stomach contained some short grass, seeds of the dog-hip, and the remains 

 of insects. 



