THE GUILLEMOT. 153 



to fill their groves with softest murmurs, and furnish 

 their tables with a delicious repast. Connoisseurs 

 tell us that the flesh of the ringdove, in winter, has 

 the flavour of moor game : I have fed on pigeons in 

 many countries, but cannot say that I ever found 

 them vary in taste from the pigeon which inhabits 

 our common dovecots. Much, perhaps, depends 

 upon the cooking. The culinary art, no doubt, 

 with other important sciences, has derived great 

 benefit from the march of intellect. In London 

 they will serve you up a ram cat for a Martlemas 

 rabbit ; and we are told that in Paris a pair of old 

 hunting boots can be stewed down to a very excel- 

 lent and wholesome soup. 



" Nil equidem durare diu sub imagine eadem 

 Crediderim." 



These cooks will suffer nothing to remain, 

 Tn pristine flavour, or its shape retain. 



NOTES OF A VISIT TO THE HAUNTS OF THE 

 GUILLEMOT, AND FACTS ON ITS HABITS. 



THE immense range of perpendicular rocks, lashed 

 by old ocean's briny surge, offers a choice and favour- 

 able retreat to myriads of wildfowl, from far-famed 

 Flamborough Head to Bempton, and thence to 

 Buckton and Speaton, and onwards to the Bay of 

 Filey. 



He who wishes to examine the nidification of 

 these birds ought to be at this part of the sea coast 



