ALCAD^E. 551 



been a straggler from this breeding station. Yarrell 

 says it breeds in some of the more northern counties 

 of England, and in Scotland and the Scotch Islands. 

 Dr. Saxby, in the 'Zoologist' for 1864 (p. 9316), 

 says that in Shetland these birds breed in crevices 

 of the cliffs, amongst rocks on the beach, and some- 

 times beneath large stones upon a grassy island. 



The food of the Black Guillemot consists princi- 

 pally of small Crustacea, marine insects and worms, 

 and but rarely of small fish.* 



The adult bird in summer has the beak black; 

 irides brown ; the whole of the plumage black, 

 except a patch on the wings, which is white ; legs, 

 toes and webs vermilion-red. During the winter the 

 greater part of this plumage changes to white. The 

 young birds of the year have the feathers of the 

 head and back edged with white, and the white 

 wing-coverts edged with dusky and ash-colour ; the 

 sides of the head, neck and breast are edged with 

 ash-colour, t 



Yarrell says the egg is white, slightly tinged with 

 green, blotched, spotted and speckled with ash-grey, 

 reddish brown and very dark brown ; but the eggs 

 appear to vary in colour, though not so much as 

 those of the Common Guillemot, nor do they re- 

 semble them in shape. 



* Meyer's ' British Birds,' vol. vii., p. 40. 

 f Id., p. 42. 



