RAZOR-BILL. 57 



bill differs iu size, form, and colour from the lengthened 

 pear-shaped egg of the Guillemot, and it seldom, if ever, 

 shows even the faintest tinge of green ; it measures on 

 the average 2*8 by 1*9 ; the ground-colour is white, 

 blotched and spotted with red-brown and blacldsh-brown, 

 sometimes mottled all over with a rich coffee or chocolate 

 colour. On shining the empty shell against the light, it 

 will be observed that the inside lining-membrane shows 

 green in the Razor-bill's egg, whereas in that of the 

 Guillemot it shows yellowish-ichite, unless overpowered by 

 the green of the outer shell. Certain western localities are 

 famous for yielding a large proportion of handsome eggs 

 of this species, as Flamborough is for its red-brown Guille- 

 mot's eggs. The first eggs are obtained about the middle 

 of May. 



Mr. Theodore Walker has given (Zool. 1871, p. 2427) 

 the following account of this species as observed at Barra 

 Head, in the Outer Hebrides : — 



" The habits of the Razor-bill and Guillemot are very 

 similar ; they both take about three weeks and four days 

 from the time they are hatched until they leave the islands. 

 When once they are enticed down they do not return to the 

 rocks ; not being full-fledged they could not very well fly up. 

 They generally fly down to the sea before sunrise : I have 

 seen scores fly down to the sea on a fine morning. At the 

 time they leave they are not full-fledged, only the wing and 

 tail being feathered ; the neck and line of the spine from 

 the wing to the tail is still downy. I observed one Razor- 

 bill enticing her young one to follow her down to the sea. I 

 don't think it got any food that day, as it ran about from 

 one bird to another, crying all day and all night : until 

 nearly daylight it was still crying, but by the time I put out 

 the light it was nowhere to be seen ; doubtless the mother 

 had returned about that time and enticed it off with food. 

 Sometimes, when the young one is obstinate, the mother will 

 take it by the back of the neck and fly down to the sea. It 

 is great fun watching the old bird teaching the young one to 

 dive : the mother takes it by the neck and dives with it ; up 



VOL. IV. I 



