BLACK GUILLEMOT. 1 25 



Range in Great Britain. — The Black Guillemot breeds on the 

 west coast of Scotland, as well as on the Hebrides and the 

 Orkneys and Shetland Islands. A few pairs also nest on the 

 Isle of Man. In Ireland, according to Mr. Ussher, it also 

 breeds, " usually in small numbers in crevices of the cliffs of 

 Donegal, Antrim, Dublin, Wicklow, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, 

 Clare, Galway, and Mayo. A great many seem to breed on 

 the outer side of Owey Island and Arranmore, Co. Donegal." 



Range Outside the British Islands. — The present species is found 

 breeding in the Northern Atlantic, in the Baltic and White 

 Seas, on the coasts of Denmark and Scandinavia, as well as in 

 the Faeroes, and in Southern Greenland. In winter it has been 

 found as far south as Massachusetts, and it also visits the 

 shores of the German Ocean and Northern France at that 

 season of the year. 



Further to the north, the place of the Black Guillemot is 

 taken by an allied species, C. mandti, which is distinguished 

 by the complete, or almost complete, absence of the black base 

 to the greater wing-coverts, and in winter the latter bird is 

 easily recognisable by its white rump and by the greater 

 amount of white on the scapulars. 



Habits. — These are well described by Seebohm : — 

 " In its habits the Black Guillemot very closely resembles 

 the Common Guillemot and the Razor-bill. It is a bird of the 

 sea, and only visits the rocks to rear its young. At all times of 

 the year it is sociable, though perhaps never seen in such vast 

 assemblies as the Common Guillemot. It is more usual to see 

 half-a-dozen birds swimming and feeding together, sometimes 

 close in shore, in the sheltered sea-lochs, paddling amongst the 

 floating seaweeds, and ever and anon diving to catch a tiny fish 

 or search for crustaceans. The Black Guillemot loves a rock- 

 bound coast; the surf is never too rough or the sea too stormy 

 for this bird. It is by no means shy, unless repeatedly fired 

 at, and allows a boat to approach quite close ere it dives, with 

 the rapidity of thought, and again appears far out of danger. 

 It swims most buoyantly, sitting high and lightly on the water, 

 with head and neck extended. . No bird rivals it in diving, and 

 its progress under water, aided by its wings as well as its feet, 

 is quite as rapid as its passage through the air. It dives with 



