GUILLEMOTS, RAZORBIEL, ETC. 143 
has seen nearly four millions of these birds on the 
wing at one time. Colonies of the Little Auk are 
known in Nova Zembla, Franz-Josef Land (?), 
Spitzbergen, Grimsey Island (to the north of 
Iceland), and the coasts of Greenland. Like all 
its larger allies, the Little Auk is thoroughly 
pelagic in its habits, apparently only visiting the 
land to breed, living on the sea for the remainder 
of the year. It is well adapted for its lengthened 
sojourn upon the waters. It swims well and 
buoyantly, sitting rather low, flies rapidly when 
inclined, dives with as much ease as a fish, and 
sleeps quite safely and comfortably upon the waves. 
Voyagers in the Arctic regions have met with flocks 
of Little Auks at most times of the year, often far 
from land, and occasionally crowding upon the 
masses of floating ice. All observers agree in 
describing it as a somewhat noisy bird, and its 
specific name of a//e is said to resemble its ordinary 
note. There is scarcely a winter that the Little 
Auk is not obtained in varying numbers off the 
British coasts, more frequently, of course, in the 
northern districts, but under ordinary circumstances 
it keeps too far off the land to be observed, and 
occurs most plentifully during periods of continued 
storm. Where the uncounted millions of Little 
Auks winter, that are known to breed in the Arctic 
regions, washed by the Atlantic, is still an unsolved 
problem. The few that are observed are as 
nothing in comparison with the numbers that crowd 
