ALCIN.t. 



THE LITTLE AUK. 



Mergulus alle (Linnaeus). 



This species — also called the Rotche or Rotge, names apparently 

 of Scandinavian origin — is a tolerably regular winter-visitor to the 

 northern coasts of the British Islands ; and, though less frequent 

 southward, it occurs as far as the Channel. After stormy weather, 

 examples have been obtained at some distance up the Thames and 

 other rivers, as well as at many places inland ; while many hundreds 

 were taken, and far more were noticed, on the British coasts, during 

 the exceptionally severe weather of January 1895. Birds in full 

 summer-plumage are sometimes observed, and one of these was 

 obtained on the Monach Islands, in the Outer Hebrides, on June 

 24th 1893. On the coast of Wales the species occurs almost every 

 winter ; while it is not unusual in Ireland. 



During the colder months the Little Auk frequents the North Sea, 

 and is distributed over the Atlantic as far south as the Azores and 

 the Canaries. Although resident in Iceland throughout the year, its 

 only breeding-place there appears to be on Grimsey. in the extreme 

 north; but on and about Spitsbergen — from lat. ^y' N. to the 

 drift ice at 82° — its numbers are almost incredible. In 1896 Dr. 

 Nansen observed it as early as February 25th, off Franz Josef Land ; 



3 I 



