286 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



ALCA TORDA, Linn^us. 



EAZORBILL. 



" With the exception of being far less plentiful than 

 the common guillemot," says Mr. Stevenson, " the same 

 description will apply equally as to the habits of either 

 species, some few razorbills appearing on our coast 

 throughout the summer as well as in the spring and 

 autumn. I have seen the old birds taken alive off Yar- 

 mouth, in full breeding plumage, on the 16th of June, 

 and very fierce they are in confinement, biting at every- 

 thing within reach with their formidable bills, and as 

 clamorous as young jackdaws, with a very similar 

 note. By the 17th August I have seen both old and 

 young birds off Cromer"^ already come down from their 

 northern breeding stations, the nearest to us being 

 riamborough Head, and the cries of the young birds, if 

 separated by accident for a time from their parents, 

 may be heard for a long distance at sea in still weather. 

 At this time the old birds still retain their breeding 

 plumage, but the white line from the beak to the eye is 

 becoming less distinct. Examples killed in February 

 and March exhibit the white throat of the winter 

 plumage, but without the white line, which, so far as 

 my own observation goes, is confined, as a rule, to the 

 nuptial dress. It is wanting entirely in the young bird 

 killed in its first autumn or winter, but appears indis- 

 tinctly by the following March ; yet, strange to say, a 

 nestling from Flamborough Head, in the Norwich Mu- 

 seum, only just emerging from its downy state, has this 

 very mark distinctly sliown,t although an older bird by 



* Mr. Dowell mentions having met with old and young birds 

 in Braucaster harbour as early as July 20th and 22nd, in 1851 

 and 1853 respectively. On July 28th, 1880, Mr. Gurn'ey had one 

 brought to him, at Northrepps, which had been caught on the 

 shore at Runton ; it was an adult with full black neck. On 

 Auo-ust 14th, 1874, Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., captured one of these 

 birds, which he found left by the tide at Blakeney ; it was three- 

 quarters of a mile from the water, but quite uninjured. 



-j- The white line is also present in a bird of the year caught at 

 Hunstanton, on 4tli of August, 1870, in the collection of Mr. J. H, 

 Gurney, jun. 



