THE GUILLEMOTS. 493 



of October, though sometimes not until November. During 

 its stay, more especially in severe frost, it is very tame, and 

 evinces but little fear for people." Stragglers, it was thought, 

 bred amongst the islands ; but speaking generally, these birds 

 pass the summer months on the coasts of Norway and 

 Fin mark, where, like the black guillemot, they nest in 

 myriads. In Denmark it is very common in the winter 

 time, and is asserted to breed in one or two places. 



Nilsson, it should be remarked, divides the U, Troile, 

 Lath., into three sub-species namely, the U. Troile, Temm. ; 

 the U. intermedia (Nilss.) ; and the U. Brunnichii, Sabine. 

 But M. von Wright, when speaking of the U. Troile, 

 Lath., remarks as follows : 



" From the opportunities that I have had of examining a 

 great number of recently shot birds, I have arrived at the 

 conclusion that in this Skargard (that of Bohus), we have 

 only one species. It varies in size and in other respects, so 

 much so, that if a sufficient number of specimens were lying 

 before one, an unbroken series of forms between the two 

 extremes might readily be pointed out ; and I therefore fully 

 coincide in the opinion of those naturalists who look upon 

 such dissimilarities in form as being purely accidental and 

 independent of sex, age, or locality. A hair's-breadth, more 

 or less, in the length of the bill, leg or other part, appears 

 to me to amount to nothing." 



The Danish fauna embraces the Ringed Guillemot (U. 

 Hringvia, Briinn.) ; as also the Briinnich's Guillemot 

 (U. Brunnichii, Sabine). They are both described as ex- 

 tremely scarce in that country. 



The Common Rotche (Sjo-Kung, or Sea-King, Sw. ; 

 Mergulus Alle, Selby) was an occasional visitor to our Skar- 



