T/te Gmllemote.'] OF ORKNEY. 105 



Species 2. The Black Guillemote. 



Greenland Dove, or Sea-Turtle, WiL Om. 326. Rail Si/n. AV. 121. Turtur 

 Maritimus insulae Bass, Sib. Hist. Fife, 46. Colymbus Grylle, Lin. Syst. 

 220. Brit. Zool. 412. Brit. Zool. Him. tab. 20./g. 2. Columba Groen- 

 landica, the Sea Turtle-Dove, Sib. Scot. 20. Ore. *Taiste. Toiste, Wal- 

 lace. 



THIS Guillemote differs in its history from the rest ; they 

 all go off from us in the winter season, leaving our rocks bare 

 and barren, but this keeps constantly with us for the whole 

 year, continually to be found in our sounds, fishing all wea- 

 thers. 



The length of this species is fifteen inches and a half, breadth 

 twenty-two, weight ounces ; the bill is slender, but 



strong and sharp, the colour black ; the whole inside of the 

 mouth of a deep orange-red ; the whole plumage is black, 

 except the speculum of the wing and the inner coverts, with 

 a very small spot under each eye, which are all white. In 

 this, as well as all the water-fowl, the feathers are very thick 

 and close, always damp with the quantity of oil which the 

 bird takes care to anoint them with, to keep off the cold and 

 water. This gives the feathers a very rank smell, and makes 

 them unfit for the purposes of bedding, for which they would 



i 



allowing themselves to come so near the boats, as to be knocked down with an 

 oar or boat-hook. They continue in Orkney throughout the winter. 

 * Avis parva praepinguis in Orcadibus Tyst dicta. Vide Sib. Scot. 22. 



O 



