RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 



TINKER. 

 Alca TORDA. 



Char. Upper parts black, with green reflections; throat deep brown; 

 a line of white in front of the eyes ; a narrow bar of white on the wings ; 

 under parts white ; bill horn-brown with a bar of white. Length about 

 17 inches. 



In winter the throat becomes white, the bill loses the horny shield at 

 the tip and the white bar, and appears smaller and sharper, and the line 

 from the eyes is indistinct. 



Nest. On an ocean cliff, — usually near the summit ; the egg is laid on 

 the bare rock, generally in a crevice or amid loose stones. 



Egg- I ; ground color shaded from ivory white or pale bufif to dark 

 buff or reddish brown; marked with dark brown and gray ; size variable, 

 average about 2.90 X i.So. 



The Razor-bill is another of those gregarious marine birds 

 which dwell amidst the wildest scenes of Nature, and penetrate 



