THE BIRDS 289 



of England, and early in April in the northern portions of our 

 islands, the Razor-bills, Guillemots and Puffins converge to particular 

 points, where, from the numbers that congregate, and the bustle 

 apparent among them, confusion of interests might be expected; 

 It will, however, be found that as a rule the Guillemots occupy 

 one station or line of ledges on the rock, the Razor-bills another, 

 the Puffins a third, the Kittiwakes a fourth ; whilst the most inac- 

 cessible crags seem to be left to the Herring Gulls. The Razor-bills 

 generally select the higher and rougher ledges, and they are partial 

 to crevices, their eggs being sometimes disposed so far in that 

 it is no easy matter to get at them ; at other times they lay their 

 eggs on the broader shelves along with the Guillemots, but not 

 so closely together." Many of the small, rocky islands of the coast 

 of Scotland and the North of England are regularly taken possession 

 of by the sea-birds in the breeding season. Year after year they 

 return to their accustomed haunts, driven by the mysterious call 

 of Nature to leave for awhile their free, wandering life, and seek 

 the shore where they may lay their eggs and bring up their young 

 ones in safety. The rocks are sometimes white with birds, so 

 densely packed together that a late comer often has much ado to 

 find a place among the throng; and the noise when they are 

 disturbed, and rise in a whirling cloud, screaming, into the air, is 

 simply deafening. 



The Common Guillemot (Uria troile) is a fairly large bird about 

 eighteen inches in length. It has a long, tapering bill, and its plum- 

 age is dusky brown above and white below. The Winged Guillemot 

 is simply a variety of this species, distinguished by having a white 

 ring round the eye and a white streak behind it. The Black Guille- 

 mot of the North Atlantic, a black bird with a white wing patch, 

 is only seen in the North of Britain. 



The Razor-bill and the Puffin are somewhat similar-looking 

 birds, but are easily distinguished by their bills, that of the former 

 being short, stout and somewhat razor-shaped whence its name 

 while the latter has a large, parrot-shaped bill, and, in con- 

 sequence, is often called the " Sea-Parrot." In the mating season 

 the huge bill is encased in a gaudy-coloured sheath, which gives 

 the male bird a most grotesque appearance. The tip is a brilliant 

 red, and the remaining portion is adorned with bands of slaty 

 blue, yellow and red: It is further embellished with a rosette of 



