169 



RAZOR-BILL, 



RAZOR-BILL ATJK. BLACK-BILLED AUK. AUK. MURRE. 

 FALK. MaRROT. SKORT. 



Atca torda, Pennant. Montagu. Bewick. 



" pica^ Montagu. Bewick. 



Alca — ? TorfZa— Qu?:re, a comption from Tarda~s\ow. 



This bird is plentiful on the shores of the islands in the 

 Arctic seas of Europe, Asia, and America, from Canada, 

 Labrador, and Greenland, to Iceland, Norway, and Kamts- 

 chatka. It is seen also in Denmark, Holstein, Prussia, France, 

 and Spain, and has occurred on the northern coast of Africa, 

 nameW, at Tangiers. In America a few occasionally go as 

 far south as New York. 



The Razor-bill breeds in Yorkshire, at Flamborough Head, 

 the well-known promontory near Burlington; also on the 

 Fern Islands. It occurs occasionally at Yarmouth, Norfolk, 

 and along the coast, the young birds more commonly, and 

 the old ones less so at all times of the year except in 

 summer. 



This species has occurred in Oxfordshire — for this I have 

 the authority of the Hon. T. L. Powys. In Cornwall it is 

 not uncommon near Gwyllyn Vase, Swanpool Bay, and Fal- 

 mouth. One found dead by Mr. Cocks on the 3rd. of January, 

 1849. A young bird was shot there by Mr. May, January 

 9th., 1849. In Hampshire it has occurred at the Isle of 

 Wight. 



In February and March, 1853, the beach about Morfa, 

 Bychaw, and Harlech, in North Wales, was strewed with 

 dead birds of this kind. 



It is plentiful in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, also in 

 Scotland, in Sutherlandshire, about Handa and other parts. 

 Many migrate southwards in the winter from the more 



