466 ALCADJE. 



the northern parts of the British Islands ; but like the 

 other species of this genus, it is an open sea bird, frequent- 

 ing the rocks only for a limited period, during the season 

 of incubation, and is seldom or ever found inland. It is 

 local, remaining all the year in such situations as suit its 

 habits. I have seen tlu> bird at the end of summer in 

 Christchurch Bay, on the Hampshire coast ; it is also 

 occasionally procured on the coasts of Dorsetshire, Devon- 

 shire, and Cornwall. Pennant mentions that in his time 

 it was known to breed at several places on the coast of 

 Wales. Mr. W. Thompson includes it among the resi- 

 dent species of Ireland. Mr. J. Macgillivray says it is 

 found on all the rocky coasts of the islands of the Outer 

 Hebrides, but nowhere numerous ; and Montagu mentions 

 that Mr. Henry Boys saw both old and young in the 

 month of August at Fowlesheugh, near Stonehaven. On 

 the coasts of Durham and Northumberland Mr. Selby 

 considers it a rare bird, but it breeds upon the Isle of 

 May, at the mouth of the Frith of Forth, and was seen 

 by some of the natural history party in Sutherlandshire 

 about the caves of the mouth of the Durness Frith. 

 Professor Macgillivray says, " The Black Guillemot sits 

 lightly on the water, paddles about in a very lively 

 manner, dives with rapidity, opening its wings a little, 

 like the other species, and moves under water with great 

 speed." 



Mr. Salmon, in his notes on eggs and birds found in 

 Orkney in 1831, says, this species, which is there called 

 the Tyste, differs from the Common Guillemot, in not 

 resorting to the same spots for the purpose of incubation ; 

 and its principal place of breeding is upon a small holm, 

 lying to the eastward of Papa Westra, where it is very 

 numerous, and would scarcely move off the rocks when 

 approached. In every instance two eggs were invariably 



