144 ARCTIC ZOOLOGY. 



and elegant flight. The S. hirundo seeks its food, which 

 is mostly the cUo retusa, or some other moUusca, by 

 phinging into the water sometimes six inches and more, 

 at which depth that Uttle cUo pHes his flimsy oar ,in com- 

 pany with the gaudy medusa pileus, and others of that 

 genus. The tern, or as it is called the sea-swallow, is in 

 flesh not much larger than a lark, though to the extremity 

 of its forked tail it measures twelve inches. The wings 

 are very long and light ; bill and legs, crimson ; the former 

 tipped with black ; cap and ocular band, black ; back and 

 wings, cinereous ; outer tail-feathers, edged with black ; 

 rest of the body white. 



Colymhus Troile (foolish guillemot). — Immense flocks of 

 these birds annually visit Davis's Strait ; but they seldom 

 go much further north than the seventy-third degree. The 

 sailors give them the name of looms. The body is black ; 

 breast and belly, snowy ; secondary quill feathers, tipped 

 with white ; bill, black and slender, the edges sharp and 

 compressed, and covered with short feathers at the base. 

 This last character is distinctive of the genus. The loom 

 is eagerly chased by the Uskee-me, who finds in such 

 pursuit the highest gratification. When approaching to 

 strike the loom, the Uskee stoops very low, his chin almost 

 resting on the kaiak, paddling with his left hand, and, 

 with his dart ready in his right, he advances singing or 

 whistling low and pleasing notes, whilst the bird, justly 



