ALCIN^. ALCA. MORMON. 217 



white, largely blotched, clouded, sprinkled, and dotted with 

 deep brown or black, and having spots of paler brown and light 

 purplish-blue interspersed. The Razor-bills feed on small 

 fishes and Crustacea, which they procure by diving, at which 

 they are extremely expert. They can remain a considerable 

 time under water, and are often seen to rise at a great dis- 

 tance. Their flight is direct, rapid, performed by quick con- 

 tinued beats of the wings, several individuals usually forming 

 a string. Their flesh is dark and unsavoury, but the eggs 

 afford good eating. 



Razor-bill. Common Auk. Falc. Gurfel. Murre. Marrot. 



Alca Torda, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 210, summer; Alca Pica, 

 i. 210, winter. Alca Torda, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 793. 

 Alca Torda, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. ii. 93 G. Alca Torda, 

 Razor-billed Auk, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, v. 



284. ALCA IMPENNIS. GREAT AUK. 



Length about thirty inches ; wings diminutive, with the 

 quills scarcely longer than their coverts ; the tail short, of 

 fourteen feathers ; bill rather longer than the head, black, 

 with eight or nine white grooves on the upper, ten or twelve 

 on the lower mandible ; the head, neck, and upper parts black, 

 the throat and sides of the neck tinged with chocolate-brown, 

 the wings with greyish-brown, the upper parts glossed with 

 green; the lower parts, and a large oblong spot before each 

 eye, with the tips of the secondary quills, white. 



Adult, 30, 28, 7, 3|, 2, 2f, ft. 



This species is met with in high latitudes, along the coasts 

 of both continents, but not in great numbers. A few indi- 

 viduals have been seen about the islands of St Kilda and our 

 north-eastern islands. One was captured in 1822, but made 

 its escape. The habits of this remarkable bird are little 

 known. It is supposed, rather than observed, to be inca- 

 pable of flying. 



Garefowl. 



Alca impennis, Linn. Syst. Nat, i. 210. Alca impermis, 

 Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 791. Alca impennis, Temm. Man. 

 d'Ornith. ii. 939. Alca impennis, Great Auk, MacGillivray, 

 Brit. Birds, v. 



GENUS CXLIII. MORMON. PUFFIN. 



The Puffins resemble the Auks, but have the bill still 

 more elevated. It is about the length of the head, nearly 

 as high as long, extremely compressed, obliquely grooved on 



