COMMON GUILLEMOT. 117 



birds reappear during the months of November and December, 

 at least half of them being young ones ; and in some of the 

 migration-reports the Guillemot is returned as appearing at its 

 breeding-places suddenly, and just as suddenly leaving them 

 again when the duties of the season are over. 



" The Guillemot is an expert diver, very often diving 

 so suddenly as to defy the quickest shots, disappearing at 

 the flash of the gun, to rise again at some distance quite 

 unharmed. We have but little opportunity, if any, of observing 

 the bird's aquatic gambols in its own native ocean ; but the 

 Guillemots in the salt-water tanks at the Brighton Aquarium are 

 a source of never-ending interest and amusement to visitors. 

 Using their wings much after the manner that a fish does its 

 fins, they progress through the water, darting hither and thither 

 with great rapidity. In swimming, the Guillemot uses its legs 

 as a motor, but in diving the wings alone are used j the whole 

 body of the bird is covered with a mass of air-bubbles, and it 

 leaves a train of these bubbles behind it, glistening like silver 

 and pearls, which adds much to the beauty of the performance. 

 Sometimes the descent of the bird is perpendicular, sometimes 

 in an oblique direction ; and its progress under the water is 

 made apparently as easily as through the air, even more so, 

 turning and gliding about with ever graceful movements, and 

 sometimes hovering over a morsel of food like a Tern. The 

 Guillemots at the Aquarium rarely stay under the surface more 

 than half-a-minute ; but in the open sea I have known them to 

 remain down for a much longer time. 



" The food of the Guillemot is largely composed of the fry 

 of fishes, notably that of the herring ; but this fare is also 

 varied by small crustaceans, marine insects, molluscs, and 

 various small fish. This food is often obtained near the coasts, 

 in sheltered bays and estuaries, where the birds congregate in 

 large numbers ; but at night they generally go out to the open 

 sea, except during the breeding season. The Guillemot is often 

 caught in the herring nets, and is sometimes taken on the 

 hooks baited with small fishes. It takes its prey, if it be a 

 fish, crosswise, and swallows it after changing its position. The 

 young birds are fed by their parents on portions of fish, and 

 even when they are sufficiently matured to seek the water they 

 are still tended by the old birds. 



