COMMON RAZORBILL. 357 



Progress toward Maturity. — Next spring the bird 

 assumes the appearance of the adult in summer, but has the 

 bill still smaller, although with two or three pretty distinct 

 grooves. The white band on the middle groove is not gene- 

 rally assumed until the second spring. 



Remarks. — The history of this bird, as above detailed, is 

 more nearly complete than that of many others. The young 

 birds in their first winter were long taken for a distinct 

 species, to which the names of Alca Pica and Black-hilled 

 Auk were given. But the reasonings on which this supposed 

 species were based being incorrect, it is unnecessary to adduce 

 them here. 



This species, besides inhabiting the northern parts of 

 Europe, and in Avinter appearing on the coasts of Britain, 

 Holland, and France, occurs equally in North America, 

 where in winter it extends as far southward as New York. 

 Mr. Audubon found it breeding on the islands in the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence, and on the coast of Labrador. Other observers 

 have met with it in Greenland, Iceland, Spitzbergcn, and in 

 general dispersed over the ar(!tic seas. 



