420 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



NATATORES. ALCAD^E. 



THE COMMON GUILLEMOT. 



URIA TROILE. 



Gearadh-breac. Eun-dubh-a'-Chrullain. Langaidh. 

 Eun an t' a Sgadan. 



THIS Guillemot, as the last of its Gaelic names implies, is the 

 " Herring-bird " of the Hebrides, and is the most abundant of the 

 Alcadce to be found in the West of Scotland. Immense numbers 

 of Guillemots frequent the coasts of the mainland, as well as the 

 inner and outer group of islands, and wherever suitable cliffs 

 occur, they take up their quarters during summer, forming 

 colonies numbering, in some particular places, two or three hundred 

 thousand birds. In the vicinity of these breeding haunts they 

 literally blacken the surface of the sea, creating a sight interesting 

 alike to the bird student and ordinary tourist. 



On Ailsa Craig these birds breed on the narrow ledges of rock, 

 and occupy the entire face of the highest precipices presenting, 

 when viewed from the sea r a very remarkable and orderly appear- 

 ance. They make no nests, but lay their single egg upon the bare 

 ledge, which is seldom more than six inches in breadth, so that 

 each bird is obliged to sit erect while incubating. I have fre- 

 quently climbed to a height of four or five hundred feet to see the 

 most thickly-populated breeding-place; and having hurled down 

 a few stones to frighten the birds, have seen them all take wing, 

 leaving a most extraordinary collection of eggs behind them. The 

 Guillemot's egg, which is very large, and of a handsome shape, is 

 extremely variable in colour, and is found of all shades, from a 

 pure white to a deep green many being spotted with fantastic 

 characters, and intricate lines, which baffle description or por- 

 traiture; the sight of so many, therefore, lying exposed on the bare 

 rock, is one of no common interest. On such occasions many 

 hundreds I may almost say thousands may be seen, all nearly 

 touching one another; and when the birds afterwards come 

 pouring in towards the ledges, each flying directly to its own egg, 

 the infinite variety of colouring, or private marks, so to speak, may 

 be looked upon as an all-wise arrangement for keeping up the 

 harmony of the settlement. 



