1899.] M'Carron. — A T otes on the Razorbill. 133 



came on the rocks or island, and about the 1st of March, 

 1884, they left altogether. Next winter they were back again, 

 and came close in stormy weather, diving with the same 

 activity ; but in fine weather, keeping at a distance as before. 

 On the 13th January, 1885, our attending boat came, and the 

 crew were not in much hurry — the day being fine. I took 

 advantage of this opportunity, and sent off an Assistant 

 Keeper to shoot one if possible. He succeeded, and I sent it 

 off to Mr. Barrington, who informed me, by return of post, 

 that it was a " young Razorbill." In the June following, I 

 observed about five or six on the island among the hundreds 

 of other Razorbills. What brought them on the island except 

 to breed, like all other birds which came? I shot one, and it 

 was in every respect like the one I sent Mr. Barrington in 

 January. I shot one of the Common Razorbills, weighed 

 both — one against the other. The f< j*oung" bird was much 

 heavier than the old one, and it was decidedly much larger. 



Now I will show some facts which will go a long way I 

 think to prove my contention, viz., that this " Young Razor- 

 bill " is a distinct species from the Common Razorbill. 

 Yarrell says, vol. iv., p. 60 (quoting from Mr. Barrington), that 

 " the young Razorbill a week old has the chin and throat 

 white." Mr. Barrington says in the Report on the Migration 

 of Birds in Ireland for 1885, p. 5, that a young Razorbill about 

 six weeks old which I sent him on the 1st August, 1884, had 

 the chin and throat black. Could such a change — from white 

 to black — take place in the same species of bird in so short a 

 time ? I think not. I think it is quite plain that these two 

 }*oung Razorbills were two different species. Another young 

 bird killed on January 13th (already referred to), Mr. 

 Barrington says had the chin and throat while. Here would 

 be three distinct changes in a bird still young ; but it had yet 

 another change to undergo — it had to turn black again, when 

 it was then no longer young. Here are four distinct changes 

 in what is said to be the ''Young Razorbill." In my opinion 

 the young bird of the week old, having the chin and throat 

 white, and the older bird shot on the 13th January, with chin 

 and throat white, was one and the same distinct species of the 

 Razorbill ; and the young bird of the six weeks old having the 



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