BIRDS OF THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 189 



May, we met with great numbers of Razor-bills on 

 the sea between the Headland and Spurn Point; 

 next to the Guillemot they then appeared to be the 

 most numerous species along the Holderness coast. 



The Razor-bills flock together and go out to sea, 

 as well as southward, in September; both the old 

 and young are always plentiful off the Humber 

 throughout the autumn months. 



Like the Guillemot they have been seen to carry 

 their young on their backs from the cliff to the sea*. 



NATATORES. PELECANIDJE. 



245. PHALACROCORAX CARBO (Linnaeus). Common 

 Cormorant. 



Provincial. Scart or Scarf. 



The Cormorant formerly nested on the rocks at 

 Flamborough, but was finally driven away by the 

 ceaseless persecutions of summer excursionists coming 

 from the neighbouring watering-places 



I have lately seen it off the Headland in July. 

 The nearest breeding-station to the Humber is now, 

 as far as I am aware, that on the North Wamses, on 

 the Farn Islands, where it nests plentifully. 



* The Rev. S. Baring-Gould, in 'Iceland its Scenes and 

 Sagas,'p. 244, says," Another bird which lays upon the shelves 

 of Drangey, is the Razor-bill (Aka torda), called in Icelandic 

 Alka ; the mother bird is said to take her young on her back, 

 and bear them down to the water j then she dives, and leaves 

 them to take their first lesson in swimming by themselves." 



