248 LESSER GUILLEMOT. 



The Foolish Guillemot, and the Razor-bill, on the 

 contrary, are indigenous to this country, breed on 

 most of our higher cliffs, and after performing the 

 great dictates of nature, invariably leave our shores, 

 and retreat to some more southern climate ; nor is 

 one to be found among the Lesser Guillemots and 

 Black-billed Auks, in the winter season, so far north 

 as Scotland, an accidental maimed bird excepted, and 

 only one or two instances have occurred in which the 

 Foolish Guillemot was found in the most southern 

 part of the island (Devonshire) at that season. Thus 

 the Lesser Guillemot and Black-billed Auk in part 

 supply the places of the Foolish Guillemot and Razor- 

 bill during the winter, and the reverse is the con- 

 sequence of our nearer approach to the sun." He 

 adds, that "it is contrary to every principle of rea- 

 soning upon natural causes to suppose that when the 

 two last retire in the autumn from^the southern parts 

 of England they should go to^the north of Scotland, 

 and be converted by a change of plumage into the 

 two former. The supposition that any bird should 

 migrate northward to pass the winter, is in direct 

 violation of the actual cause of the propensity to mi- 

 grate. Every species of animal that shifts its quarters 

 with the seasons breeds in the higher and passes the 

 winter in the lower latitudes. Those who may have 

 formed an opinion that the two first are the young 

 of the others, should be asked to produce an instance 

 of so unnatural a case as that of all the young of 

 any species remaining behind to winter in a northern 

 country, while the old birds seek a more southern 

 climate. Besides, those who favour such an opinion 



