482 THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOPODES. 



informed by letter — at Aiguilles d'Etretat. This species, to the knowledge of 

 the Avriter, M. Hardy, has twice been found breeding in the last-named locality. It 

 was nesting in holes in the rocks on the border of the sea, in company witli the 

 troUe. It laid a single egg, very pyriform, of a brownish white, with a few spots of 

 ashy-gray and sinuous zigzag lines of mingled red and brownish black. In other 

 respects the Q^g of this species varies as much as do those of the troUe. They vary 

 in length from 3.15 to 3.3o inches, and in breadth from 1.94 to 2.04. These measure- 

 ments differ from those of Dr. Bryant, who gives 3.10 as the maximum length, and 

 1.9G as the greatest breadth. ]\r. Gerbe, in a note, referring to the views of Faber 

 and Graba as to the specific unity of tro'de, r'mgvia, and lomvla, adds that Thiene- 

 mann, who also visited the same countries, is of an entirely different opinion. He 

 considers these three forms as three distinct species ; and while, on this point, 

 the opinions of ornithologists remain very much divided, M. Gerbe states that — so 

 far as this form is concerned — if it is not a good species, it is certainly a well-marked 

 race. Thienemann founded his belief in the diversity of these species on the con- 

 stant differeuces in their eggs ; and jNIr. Proctor, of Durham, England, who has vis- 

 ited the breeding-places of these birds in Iceland, agrees with Thienemann entirely. 

 He visited Grimsey, an island forty miles north of Iceland, where he found these 

 three forms breeding on the rocks. They were regarded by all the inhabitants as 

 three entirely distinct birds. Briinnich's Guillemot was the most numerous, and was 

 called Stutnefia. The tro'de was next in point of numbers, and was known as Lang- 

 nejia. The Hinged Guillemot was the least numerous, and was called Hvinij langnefia. 

 The eggs of all three kinds were obtained ; and the distinctious between them were 

 well known to the fishermen, Avho sejiarated them, when put together, Avithout diffi- 

 culty or hesitation. The eggs of the ringvla Avere the most rare, less from the smaller 

 number of the parent birds than from the circumstances of their breeding away from 

 the others, far loAver doAvn on the precipitous ledges, Avhere they Avere inaccessible 

 from beloAv, and more difficult to obtain by those loAvered doAvn from above. The 

 Common Guillemot and the Hinged do not breed together, but each keeps by itself. 



I attach far more importance to the fact that these forms, in nesting, appear thus 

 to keep exclusively by themselves, than to the supposed differences in eggs, on which, 

 as evidence of specific separation, Ave caunot safely rely. Like the eggs of the Arctic, 

 Common, and Koseate Terns, those of the tliree forms vary so much, and appear 

 to run into such corresponding variations, that no certain rule, in my judgment, is 

 yet possible. On the other hand, the careful separation of breeding-places is a more 

 sure sign of specific demarcation. All the eggs that I have ever seen of this variety 

 {ringvla) are uniformly large, have a constant Avhite ground, and are marked Avith 

 red and broA\-n lines, long, slender, and irregular. Dr. Bryant's experience Avas, hoAv- 

 ever, different, as we have seen. 



According to Professor Heinhardt, the Uria ringvia is found in Greenland, but is 

 a very rare bird there. Captain Elmes found it breeding on the Island of Berneray, 

 one of the outer Hebrides. It Avas in company Avith the more abundant Uria trade, 

 and Avas, in proportion to the latter, as one to ten or twelve, Avhich corresponds Avith 

 the observations of other persons on Handa Island and Ailsa Craig. He took several 

 of the eggs on each of Avliich he actually saAv one of the Ringed Guillemots sitting, 

 and found that they vary as much as the others, though more Avere marked Avith 

 streaks than Avith blotches. 



This bird is comparatively rare on the New England coast, but has been met Avith 

 in Avinter, and is more abundant off the more easterly portions of the coast of Maine 

 than elsewhere. 



