77 



Flamborough Head, and it is stated to have been 

 common at one time at the " Ferns." I obtained a 

 single specimen off those islands in May, 1867, but 

 none had then been known to nest there for many 

 years. 



This bird differs in several respects from the 

 rest of its family. The Common or Foolish Guille- 

 mot is a remarkably poor walker, the backward 

 position of its legs only enabling it to progress with 

 a kind of shuffle. Its limited powers of locomotion 

 are, however, sufficient for its requirements on land, 

 as the situation in which it rears its young, viz., an 

 open ledge above the sea, allows it to drop from the 

 air close to its egg. The Black Guillemot on the 

 other hand nests either under large stones or at 

 some distance in the cracks and crevices of the 

 rocks, and has need to make use of its legs with 

 greater freedom. I was much surprised the first 

 time I met with this species to discover it could 

 walk and even run with the greatest ease. 

 It is also capable of rising from level ground 

 (as I observed on seeing a pair disturbed from 

 under some detached rocks on the Island of Fura) 

 Avith almost the rapidity of a Grouse or Partridge, 

 while the unfortunate Willock^ is forced to drop a 

 considerable distance from the cliffs every time it 

 gets on wing before it can gain sufficient impetus to 

 take a straight course. This species usually lays 

 two, the other Guillemots a single egg. 



The specimens together with their eggs were 

 obtained on the Island of Fura off the west coast 

 of Ross- shire in May, 1868. 



EIDER. (NEST). 



Case 92. 



This case, which represents the female with her 

 nest, showing the eggs embedded in the well-known 



* Sussex name for the Common Guillemot. 



