LETTER XVI. 



Ill 



these coasts, we sent the head to Mr Fenton, a bird-stuffer in 

 Edinburgh. The answer he returned contained a brief note from 

 Mr Selby, pronouncing it as " that unfrequent bird the Bridled 

 Guillemot." 



You recollect alluding to the disappearance of the young 

 birds from the localities where the breeding goes on, especially 



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upon the East Coast, where it is remarked that so few of the 

 immature birds remain. This does not seem to be the case on 

 our shores. Here the proportion of immature birds is very much 

 what you would expect it to be. One thing is to be observed, 

 however, that the young birds are infinitely more easy of approach 

 than the old ones, whose cunning and suspicion increase in pro- 

 portion to their maturity and beauty of plumage. As from a 



