328 URIA LACRYMANS. 



Mr, Yarrcll's description : — " An adult bird in its breed- 

 ing-phnnage, obtained at Grimsay Island (near Iceland), bas 

 tbe beak black, ratlier more slender in form than .that of the 

 Common Guillemot obtained at the same locality ; the irides 

 dark ; all round the eye a narrow ring of pure white, and a 

 line of the same colour about an inch and a lialf long, passing 

 from the eye backwards and doAvnwards on the neck ; head, 

 chin, tliroat, uppcn* part of neck all ro\ind, lower portion of 

 neck beliind, back, wings, and tail, dull greyisli-black ; tips 

 of secondaries, and all the under surface of the body, Avhite ; 

 legs, toes, and membranes, brownish-black. The whole 

 length about eighteen inches ; the wing, from the joint to the 

 end, eight inches." 



M. Temminck briefly describes this species in its summer 

 plumage thus : — " Head, cheeks, and upper part of the fore- 

 neck, of a smoked brown tint ; the rest of the upper parts of 

 a pure black ; the Avhite circle around the eyes, and the 

 lacrymal line at the hind part of that organ very strongly 

 marked on the dark plumage of the head. The meshes of 

 the flanks very large and distinct." 



Adult in Winter. — According to M. Temminck, " the 

 top of the head, the space between the eye and the bill, a 

 longitudinal band behind the eyes, and all the upper parts, of 

 a very decided black ; all the lower parts and the tips of the 

 secondary quills, pure white ; white is also seen between the 

 band behind the eyes and the black of the nape ; it extends 

 toward the occiput, Avhere that colour forms an open angle ; 

 small white feathers, slender, and very close together, form a 

 circle around the eyes, and a narrow streak directs itself 

 backwards, passing a little beyond the temples ; the black 

 colour of the lateral part of the neck forms towards the breast, 

 a collar faintly indicated by blackish-grey ; meshes of the 

 flanks very distinct ; bill greyisli-black ; inside of the mouth 

 yellow; iris brown; feet yellowish-brown. Length from 15 

 to 16 inches." 



Habits. — Mr. Gould remarks : — " Although we liave 

 figured this bird under the name of lyacrymans, we are doubt- 



