THE BLACK GUILLEMOT. r 5* 



when the bird has passed its bright red feet can be seen on each side of its tail, 

 and if one swerves up, as they often do when passing at close quarters, the red 

 legs and feet are very conspicuous. Booth remarked that this species, from the 

 position of its nesting place, has need to use its legs with freedom, and can walk 

 and even run with the greatest ease, and that it can rise from level ground with 

 almost the rapidity of a Grouse. It can certainly rise rapidly from the water. 

 The Black Guillemot feeds on fish, crustaceans and small shell- fish. 



This bird is the " Tystie " of the Shetlands, a name of Scandinavian origin, 

 the modern Norsk name being " Tejst." It is the Dovekie or Greenland Dove of 

 arctic voyagers. Other old or local names are Sea Turtle, Scraber (Martin's 

 Voyage to St. Kilda), Poist, Paiste and Paffinet. Pennant writes: "The Welsh 

 call this bird Cabgan Longwr, or the sailor's hatred, from the notion that its 

 appearance forbodes a storm." 



The adult in breeding dress has the bill black; iris blackish-brown; the 

 whole of the plumage black (glossed on the upper parts with greenish, bronze, or 

 purplish-red), with the exception of the median and greater wing-coverts, the under 

 wing-coverts (excepting again the edge of the wing) and a patch near the base of 

 the inner web of some of the primaries, which are white ; the (usually entirely) 

 concealed bases of the white upper wing-coverts are black ; tarsi and feet vermilion 

 red ; inside of the mouth the same, or rather more blood coloured. 



In winter the upper part and sides of the face become white, but a dull black 

 spot in front of the eye appears to be permanent ; forehead, crown of the head 

 and back of the neck finely mottled with black and white. The wings and tail 

 remain the same as in summer, but the rest of the upper parts are barred and 

 mottled in various degrees with black and white ; the rump is nearly white and 

 the white edges to the scapulars are broad ; throat, fore-neck and underparts 

 generally, white, with a few dark feathers on the sides of the body and flanks ; 

 bill less intensely black than in summer ; inside of mouth coral-red, or light 

 crimson ; tarsi and feet vermilion-red ; back of tarsus and underside of toes 

 brownish and dusky ; webs dusky vermilion ; claws dark horn. 



At the periods of change, the plumage has a curiously mottled black and 

 white appearance. The sexes are alike. Total length about 14 inches; wing 

 about 6 inches. 



Young birds have the white wing-patch barred with brownish-black, the 

 feathers having dark tips ; sides of the head, throat, neck, and under parts 

 generally, freckled in varying degrees with dusky, least so on the belly ; upper 

 parts black or dusky, the edges of the feathers white after the first autumn moult, 

 but the rump has not so much white as in older birds. " Young at the end of 



VOL. VI 2 A 



