40() BRITISH BIRDS. 



head, back part of the neck, and all the upper 

 parts of the body and wings are covered with short, 

 soft, glossy black feathers, excepting a white 

 stroke across the wings, formed by the tips of 

 the lesser quills: the whole under side of the 

 body is white: the wings are very short, not ex- 

 ceeding four inches and a quarter from the tips 

 of the longest quill feathers to the first joint: legs 

 black, short, and placed near the vent. 



From the difficulty with which these birds walk, 

 they are seldom seen out of the water, and it is 

 remarked by seamen, that they never wander be- 

 yond soundings. The female is said to lay only 

 one egg, which she deposits and hatches on a 

 ledge close to the sea-mark: it is of a very large 

 size, being about six inches in length, of a white 

 colour, streaked with lines of a purple cast, and 

 blotched with dark rusty spots at the thicker end. 



This species is not numerous any where : it 

 inhabits Norway, Iceland, the Ferro Isles, Green- 

 land, and other cold regions of the north, but is 

 seldom seen on the British shores. 



The Gair-fowl described by Martin, in his voy- 

 age to St. Kilda, and account of that island, 

 published in 1698, differs in some particulars from 

 the foregoing: he says, "it is larger than the 

 Solan Goose, black, red about the eyes, has a large 

 white spot under each eye, a long broad bill; 

 stands erect: has short wings; cannot fly; lays 

 one egg, twice the size of that of the Solan Goose, 

 variously speckled with black, green, and dusky 

 spots.'' 



FINIS. 



