320 URTA TllOII.E. 



claws black. Tlio licad and upper part of the neck all round 

 black, tinged with brown, disappearing on the middle of the 

 neck behind ; the loAver hind neck and the ujipcr parts gi'ey- 

 ish-black, except the tips of the secondary quills, which arc 

 "white, the inner four excepted ; from the middle of the fore 

 neck to the tail white, the sides under the Avings streaked 

 with blackish-grey. 



Length to end of tail 17^ inches ; extent of wings 28 ; 

 bill along the ridge 1-/^, along the edge of lower mandible 

 2\^, its height at the angle G^V ; wing from flexure 8^ ; tail 

 nearly 2; tarsns l-f-j ; middle toe l-fj, its claw ^. 



Female in Winter. — There is no apparent external 

 difference between the male and the female. 



Habits. — Individuals of this species are to be seen dis- 

 persed in small companies, or sometimes singly, over all our 

 seas, during the long period intervening between the termi- 

 nation of one breeding season and the commencement of the 

 next. In estuaries, bays, or narrows, where herring or other 

 fry is abundant, they congregate in vast numbers, along with 

 Auks, Hed-throated Divers, and Gulls of various species. 

 They swim with great speed, dive with celerity, and pursue 

 under water, with feet and wings in action, their prey, which 

 consists of small fishes and Crustacea. Generally, they with- 

 draw at night to the open sea, and often, when not attracted 

 to the coasts by shoals of fry, may be seen dispersed over the 

 waters at a great distance from land. When flying to a dis- 

 tance, they proceed in small companies, one individual follow- 

 ing another, in a line, close over the waves, with rapid beats 

 of their wings, and with great speed. When alarmed, they 

 dive, and emerge at a distance, or sometimes take to wing, 

 rising with ease at a low angle, and sphishing the water. 

 Although many are shot every year, their flesh is not esteemed, 

 it being dark -coloured, rank, and disagreeable. But it 

 is when assembled at their breeding-places that the greatest 

 havoc is made amongst them. They are then pitilessly shot 

 down from their stations on the rocks, or when flying to or 

 from them, or when swimming about, it being in general easy 



