GUILLEMOTS, RAZORBILL, ETC. 143 



has seen nearly four millions of these birds on the 

 wing at one time. Colonies of the Little Auk are 

 known in Nova Zembla, Franz-Josef Land (?), 

 Spitzbergen, Grimsey Island (to the north of 

 Iceland), and the coasts of Greenland. Like all 

 its larger allies, the Little Auk is thoroughly 

 pelagic in its habits, apparently only visiting the 

 land to breed, living on the sea for the remainder 

 of the year. It is well adapted for its lengthened 

 sojourn upon the waters. It swims well and 

 buoyantly, sitting rather low, flies rapidly when 

 inclined, dives with as much ease as a fish, and 

 sleeps quite safely and comfortably upon the waves. 

 Voyagers in the Arctic regions have met with flocks 

 of Little Auks at most times of the year, often far 

 from land, and occasionally crowding upon the 

 masses of floating ice. All observers agree in 

 describing it as a somewhat noisy bird, and its 

 specific name of alle is said to resemble its ordinary 

 note. There is scarcely a winter that the Little 

 Auk is not obtained in varying numbers off the 

 British coasts, more frequently, of course, in the 

 northern districts, but under ordinary circumstances 

 it keeps too far off the land to be observed, and 

 occurs most plentifully during periods of continued 

 storm. Where the uncounted millions of Little 

 Auks winter, that are known to breed in the Arctic 

 regions, washed by the Atlantic, is still an unsolved 

 problem. The few that are observed are as 

 nothing in comparison with the numbers that crowd 



