IRIA OhYLLE. 9 



(iENlS IV. IRIA. THE GUILLEMOTS. 

 Gex. Cii. Bill, rather sh-nJrr, usually shorter than head, pointed at tip, and not mueh compressed. The bill is not 

 riilgecl ami only slightly curved at tip of upper mtimlilile. There are two species within our limits. 



URIA GRYLLE. 

 Black Guillemot. 



Uria (jrylle Brun., 0:n. lior; 1TH4, 28, 

 DESCRIPTION. 



m 

 Si'. Cii. Form, robust. Size, small. Color. Adult. Sooty-black throuiihout,, with patch on win";, which is rarely 

 crosses! hy a black band, under wini; covert.s, and asillaries, white. Iris, hrown; bill, black; feet, coral-red. 



Winter adult. Wings and tail as in summer; remainder of plumage, white, more or less mottled with black above and 

 in a collar around neck. Youni/, quite similar but darker above and with white of wing and beneath mottled with dusky. 

 jyestlini/s are covered with a sooty -black down. 



OL!SERV.\TI0NS. 

 Known by the small size and dark coloi-s in summer; white mottlings above in winter. Occurs insummer from Maine, 

 northward, wintering from (irand Jlcnan, southward. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average mea.surements of specimens. Length, l-2'.50;stretch, 23'50; wing. 5'25; tail, r95; bill, r35; tarsus, 1-25. Long- 

 est specimen, i:{ OO; greatest extent of wing, 2t'0:); 1 jng33t wing, 6'35; tail, 2'0:); bill, r40; tarsus, 1 3il. Shortest speci- 

 men, 13 00; smallest extent of wing, •23-00; shortest wing, 550; tail, 190; bill, 1-.30; tarsus, I-20. 



DESCRIPTION OP NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Ei/ys, placed in holes of cliffs, three or four in number, oval in form, white, creamy, or greenish in color, spotted and 

 blotched with very dark-brown and umber. Dimensions from r55x2'25 to r65x2'40. 



HABITS. 



I found the Little Black Guillemots very eommon on Grand Menan, nesting in fis- 

 sures of the hiyh (diffs on the northern end of the island. Here the eggs were fresh as Lite 

 as the thirteenth of July, but this was owing to the fact that the l)irds had been robbed, 

 for I i'ound young, as well as i'resh <ggs, the last week in June, on the Magdalens; yet it 

 i.s safe to say, tliat these birds, even if not molested, lay from the middle of Juno until the 

 first week iu July. Tiie eggs are deposited on the naked rock or earth and are constantly 

 covered by the male or female. When the entrances of their holes are approaclied, the 

 birds scramble out and take wing, then they will fly distractedly about, uttering a mourn- 

 ful whistle, besides which they emit a chuckling note. The Black Guillemots sit lightly 

 on tile water and, like the larger species, dive with ease, remaining under the surface for 

 a great length of time. They have the habit, shared with many aquatic birds, of dipping 

 the bill into the water when excited. They migrate southwanl in November. 



VRIA TROILE. 



Murro. 

 Uria Iroile Lath., IikI. Orn. II; 1790, 796. 

 DESCRIPTION. 

 Sr. Cir. Form, ralher slender. Size, large. Coi.oR. Adult. Head and neck all around, upper parts, and sides, 

 sooty-brown. Tips of secondaries, and under parts, white. Iris and feet, brown; bill, black. 



in winter, and Youny. Similar, but beneath, white to bill, with throat occiusionally dusky. Nestlin(/s. Black 

 throughout, sprinkled with yellowish-white. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Known by the large size and pure white beneath. Distributed in summer from Gulf of St. Lawrence, northward. 

 Winters from Maine to Florida. 



DIMENSIONS 



Av(>ragc measurements of specimens. Length, 17'50; .stretch, 2950; wing, 7'25; tail, 2'25; bill, l-eO; tarsus, 1-45. 

 L<ingest specimen, 1800; greatest extent of wing, 30-00; longest wing, 800; tail, 2 50; bill, 1-75; taisus, (-55. Shortest 

 vpecimeu, 1700; smallest extent of wing, 29-00; shortest wing, 7-50, tail, 2(t0; bill, I'G'); tarsus, 1-40. * 



