206 A HAND -LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



ALCA TORDA 



443. Alca torda L.— THE RAZORBILL. 



Alca Torda Linna?iu3, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 130 (1758 — "Habitat in 



Eixropa^ borealis oceano "). 



Alca torda Linnaeus, Yarrell, iv, p. 55 ; Saunders, p. 695. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Eesident. Breeds (end March-Aug.) 

 suitable cliffs (mainland and isles) throughout (doubtfully Dover 

 cliffs). Less plentiful than Guillemot except in Ireland. Fairly 

 generally distributed in seas autumn and winter (rare Irish seas 

 winter) and frequently washed up on coasts, and occasionally 

 storm-driven inland. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Islands and coa.sts of North Atlantic, 

 breeding as far south as Channel Islands and Brittany, and in 

 America to NcAv-foundland and New Brunswick. In winter south 

 to Mediterranean, and Canary Islands (casually), and in America 

 to Long Island and casually to North Carolina. 



ALCA IMPENNIS 



444. Alca impennis L.— THE GREAT AUK. 



Alca impennis LinnseiLS, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 130 (1758 — Arctic Europe). 

 Alca impennis LinnseiLs, Yarrell, iv, p. 61 : Saunders, p. 097. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Extinct. Recorded in 0. Hebrides as 

 far back as 1684, but became rare early 1800. Only British taken 

 specimens known are (1) Papa Westray (Orkneys) (the breeding- 

 place was the Holm of Papa Westray, see Ibis 1898, p. 587) obtained 

 by Bullock 1813, now in Brit. Mus. ; (2) St. Kilda (0. Hebrides) 

 captured alive and received by Fleming, Aug. 1821 or 2 ; (3) Water- 

 ford coast May, 1834, cajitured alive and now in Trin. Coll. Mus., 

 Dublin. Strong evidence of one captured Stack-an-Armin (St. 

 Kilda) about 1840, and fair evidence of one captured Fame Isles 

 a few years previous to 1769. Remains have been found Orkneys, 

 Caithness, Oronsay Is. (Argyll), Durham, Antrim, Donegal, Clare, 

 and Waterford. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Formerly breeding round Newfoundland, 

 and particularly on Funk Island, Iceland (Grimsey, Eldey, Geirfugla- 

 sker), Faeroes, and possibly in east Greenland ; in winter at least 

 south to Ireland and Denmark, and to Carolina and Florida. 

 Extinct since 1844. Eighty skins and seventy-three eggs are known 

 to be in existence (E. BidAvell). 



URIA TROILLE 



445. Uria troille troille (L.)— THE COMMON GUILLEMOT. 



CoLYMBUS Troille Linnaeus, Fauna Svecica, ed. 11, p. 52 (1761 — Arctic 



Ocean). 



Uria troile (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 69 ; Saunders, p. 699. 



