LITTLE AUK. 359 



The Little Auk, or Common Rotche, as it is also called, 

 though in its habits very similar to the Guillemots and the 

 true Auks, is only a winter visiter to the British Islands, 

 and is more frequently met with among those of Orkney and 

 Shetland than farther south. Somewhat intermediate in its 

 characters between the Guillemots and the Auks, with the 

 last of which it was long associated in ornithological works, 

 it has been considered worthy of generic distinction, and 

 separated accordingly. 



Truly oceanic in its habits, and unless forced by necessity, 

 rarely seen on land except in the breeding-season, this species 

 seldom makes its appearance on our coasts, but with, or soon 

 after, the stormy weather which usually follows each autumnal 

 equinox, when they are forced by violent and long continuing 

 winds to leave the rougher sea and take shelter in land-locked 

 bays, where they are easily shot ; or, are not unfrequently 

 driven while on wing over the land itself, far from their 

 natural marine haunts, to situations where they are generally 

 found either exhausted or dead. 



A remarkable instance of this sort occurred in the month 

 of October, 1841. Dr. Edward Clarke, of Hartlepool, sent 

 me word that after a violent storm of wind from N.N.E. 

 which lasted several days, his attention was directed by pilots 

 and fishermen on the look out to various flocks of small black 

 and white birds, then close in shore. There were several 

 hundreds of them, which were unknown to these seafaring 

 men, but which proved to be the Little Auk. Many were 

 obtained, five or six being killed at each shot, the birds were 

 so numerous. The same thing happened at the same time 

 at Redcar, on the Yorkshire coast, but after two or three 

 days, the wind abating, they were seen no more. About the 

 same time I heard from various friends of other examples 

 being taken in many different counties. In Lincolnshire, 

 Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, and Sussex. On the other 



