84 ALCIDiE. 



never leave the nest until perfectly fledged, and able to 

 provide for themselves ; as soon as this takes place the 

 attendance and care of the parents cease ; they do not even 

 continue in the company of their young, which associate 

 together for some time afterwards. Their food is small fish 

 and Crustacea, and their cry is shrill hut rather plaintive. 

 Saxb^' adds that they are easily tamed, but almost invariably 

 die before the end of the first winter. 



In summer the beak is black ; inside of the mouth red- 

 dish-orange ; the irides brown ; the whole of the plumage 

 glossy black, except the patch on the wing-coverts, which is 

 white, with some black concealed on the basal portion ; legs 

 vermilion-red. The sexes are alike in plumage. The whole 

 length of the bird is fourteen inches ; of the wing from the 

 wrist six inches and a half. 



In winter the inside of the mouth and the feet are less 

 brightly coloured than in summer ; the crown is white 

 marked with black ; back barred with black and white ; 

 rump nearly white ; wings and tail as in summer ; rest of 

 plumage and underparts white. 



In the young, at the end of August, the irides are dark 

 brown ; bill blackish-grey ; inside of mouth pale orange ; 

 tarsi and feet deep brown, the front of former and upper 

 surface of the latter paler. By the end of September the 

 inside of the mouth has changed to brownish-pink, and the 

 legs and feet to a deep brownish-pink. In December the 

 colour of these parts diifers only in degree from that in the 

 adults. By the end of June the bird has acquired its full 

 plumage, and is undistinguishable from the adult (Saxby). 



Varieties of this species are occasionally obtained : Mr. 

 J. Whitaker has one with sandy wings and the back of a 

 lighter shade than that of the ordinary winter plumage. 



