142 BRITISH SEA BIRDS. 



externally, but the shells, when held up to the light, 

 have the interior of a clear pea-green tint a 

 character which readily serves to distinguish them 

 from such eggs of the Guillemot that resemble 

 them in external colour. If the first egg be taken 

 the bird will lay another, and this process may be 

 repeated several times, but on no occasion is more 

 than one chick reared in the season. It is said that 

 the young of this species remain upon the cliffs for 

 a much longer period than the chicks of the 

 Guillemot, and that they eventually fly or flutter 

 down to the sea, never revisiting the rocks. The 

 parent will sometimes dive with its offspring, just 

 as the Little Grebe will do. 



LITTLE AUK. 



This species, the Rotche of Arctic navigators, 

 and the Mergulus alle of ornithology, is but an 

 irregular visitor to British seas during autumn and 

 winter, and as it seldom comes near the land under 

 ordinary circumstances, is not a very familiar bird 

 to the seaside observer. Exceptionally severe 

 weather not unfrequently drives this little bird far 

 inland. In its general colouration the Little Auk 

 closely resembles the Razorbill, but it is less than 

 half the size, and has a considerable amount of 

 white on the wings. This curious little species 

 congregates in incredible numbers at certain spots 

 in the Arctic regions, to breed. Beechey, at the 

 beginning of the present century, records that he 



