FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. 319 



Male in Summer. — The Common Guillemot, so plentiful 

 along our coasts, and so familiarly knoAvn to those who 

 reside near its breeding haunts, is yet not so satisfactorily 

 described as might be expected, it having been confounded 

 with another species, which has of late years been distin- 

 guished from it, although some doubts yet remain as to the 

 propriety of separating them. It is of the same form, and 

 nearly of the same size and colouring, as Brunnich's Guille- 

 mot. The bill is shorter than the head, rather stout, com- 

 pressed, tapering, pointed, very slightly decurvate at the 

 end ; upper mandible with its dorsal line slightly arcuato- 

 decurvate, the ridge not broad but rounded at the base, 

 gradually narrowed, the sides sloping, the edges inclinate 

 for half their length, sharp and direct toward the end, with 

 a distinct notch close to the tip ; loAver mandible with a 

 considerably prominent angle, though much less so than in 

 the last species, beyond it to the tip the dorsal line slightly 

 concave, the sides rather convex at the base, flat toward the 

 end, the tip slender and pointed ; gape-line extending to 

 beneath the eyes. 



Nostrils linear, at the loAver anterior edge of the nasal 

 sinus ; eyes rather small ; apertures of ear very small. Feet 

 short, placed far behind ; tibia bare for about half an inch, 

 tuberculately scaly ; tarsus stout, compressed, anteriorly 

 with a single roAV of rather small scutella, interiorly witli 

 large scutelliform scales, exteriorly with smaller, the hind 

 part with minute tubercles. Outer toes nearly equal, and 

 longer than the tarsus ; third toe with thirty scutella ; inter- 

 digital membranes emarginate, the outer deeply so ; inner 

 toe with a narrow bilobate membrane ; claws strong, gently 

 arched, rather acute ; inner side of the third toe expanded. 



The plumage dense, very soft, and blended ; on the head 

 very short, firm, but velvety. A distinct line, or groove, sepa- 

 rating the feathers, extends backAvards, about an inch, from 

 each eye ; wings rather short, narrow, incurvate toward the 

 end, pointed, the first quill longest. Secondaries very short, 

 rather broad, rounded; tail very short, of twelve broad,, 

 rounded feathers. 



Bill black ; iris brown ; feet dusky, tinged Avith reddish ; 



