392 BRITISH BIRDS. 



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 remain down for a much longer 

 time. 



The Guillemot is a gregarious and social bird, allowing other species 

 (as Gulls, Mergansers, Black Guillemots, and Ducks) to mix freely 

 with its gatherings on the sea. Where the birds are at all numerous, 

 it is an interesting sight to watcK their motions in the water. If 

 you climb to the summit of their rocky home, and look down upon the 

 bird-studded waves below, you may see them in thousands and thousands, 

 like little black and white balls, incessantly disappearing and rising again 

 as they pursue their finny prey. Where the food-supply is, there the 

 Guillemots congregate. A shoal of fry is out yonder in the deep water, half 

 a mile from shore. You can trace its proportions and its position by the 

 actions of the Guillemots in the sea above the moving millions of young 

 fish, whilst above the Gulls and the Terns are gathered together, filling the 

 air like snowflakes. What an animated and pretty scene it is ! The birds 

 on the dark green sea like foam-necks, the mighty waves dashing against 

 the cliffs, the ever-moving myriads of birds upon them, the clear blue sky, 

 with here and there a mass of cloud drifting slowly across, and the noisy 

 Gulls and Terns in ever-restless airy flight around. But the shoal of fry 

 passes on, the birds follow in its course, and the sea seems deserted once 

 more. Sometimes the Guillemots have to pass long distances to their 

 feeding-grounds, the Elamborough birds often going to the Lincoln and 

 Norfolk coasts to fish, returning in the evening in little " knots," 

 or in long " strings " like Wild Ducks, flying swiftly and silently 

 just above the surface of the waves. At Scarborough about sunset 

 long strings of Guillemots may often be seen flying at an almost 

 incredible speed close to the surface of the waves in the direction of 

 Flamborough. 



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 crusta- 

 ceans, marine insects, mollusks, 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 fish. It takes its prey, if it be a fish, crosswise, and 



