202 RAZOR-BILL. 



up the females whilst in the act of incubation, and, on 

 placing them upon the ground again, they seldom took 

 wing, but generally ran for shelter into their own or some 

 neighbouring hole. They are birds of passage, appearing 

 on our coasts about the beginning of April, and continu- 

 ing with us until the middle of August. These birds, 

 when in the holes with their young, make a humming 

 kind of noise, not unlike that produced by the large 

 wheels which are used in the spinning of worsted. This 

 noise, when a person is standing on a spot surrounded on 

 all sides by them, has a very singular effect. On the 

 island of Priestholme, near Beaumaris, I have seen several 

 thousands of these birds, all at the same time, in flight. 



They are about twelve inches in length ; and the bill 

 is an inch and a quarter long, much compressed at the 

 sides, and nearly an inch and a half deep at the base. 

 Across both mandibles there are oblique furrows. The 

 half of the bill next to the point is red, and that at the 

 base blue-grey. The upper parts of the body, and a ring 

 round the neck, are black ; whilst nearly all the under 

 parts are white. The legs are orange-coloured. 



Razor-bill. One circumstance has been mentioned re- 

 specting these birds, which has often excited both admira- 

 tion and surprise. They form no nest for their young, 

 but lay their single egg on the naked ledge of a rock 

 immediately over the sea. This egg they poise so nicely, 

 that if once removed, it is said to be a difficult matter so 

 to fix it in the same place as to prevent its rolling off. 

 And thus poised the birds are able to sit upon it in safety, 

 through the most tremendous gales. While hatching, the 

 Razor-bills generally sit alongside of each other in vast 

 numbers ; yet each bird, by a wonderful instinct, correctly 



