THE COMMON GUILLEMOT. 227 



ance of bleakness, now teem with the animation produced by 

 thousands of these birds. 



Sitting closely along a ledge of rock, no matter how 

 elevated over the sea, they impart all the appearance of 

 being ranged in file ; or, as they have been compared by the 

 Manksmen, resembling an apothecary's shop, the even 

 ledges of the rock, the shelves, and the birds, the pots; 

 whilst on the least alarm the entire range of birds sweep 

 downward in a line to the sea. Very common in Dublin Bay, 

 we have on several occasions observed them during the dusk 

 of evening, swimming without the least alarm amidst the ves- 

 sels at anchor on the quays, and also in small parties, 

 from five to a dozen, feeding about the entrance of the har- 

 bour. Such successful divers are they, and rapacious feeders, 

 that twenty-five herring-fry have been counted in the con- 

 tents of a stomach examined. Congregated in parties from 

 eight to thirty, they evince the utmost amicability towards 

 each other, fishing and winging their way in small flocks to 

 and from their breeding haunts. 



Around the Dublin coast they occur in considerable num- 

 bers, increasing as we approach their grand breeding places 

 on the island of Lambay, where, occupying every flat ledge 

 or table of the rocky face on the eastern side, their eggs are 

 deposited upon the bare rock, and are collected by a man tied 

 to a rope, or lowered over the cliffs in a basket, whence they 

 are forwarded in small quantities for sale to the markets of 

 the city. Of these we might remark Swift lost a subject in 

 not having seen in his day a heap of guillemot's eggs, attrac- 

 tive from twenty varied colours, supporting the portentous 

 announcement of an " arrival of fresh American turkey eggs, 

 twopence each." If " murder could out" in that instance, the 

 unfortunate birds, which in many cases were enclosed within 

 the sh'ell, would unanimously have repudiated their foreign 

 appellation. On inquiry at one house where they were dis- 

 posed of, we were informed that they were well liked, but 

 were rather u strong" ! or had the " tack" of the voyage. De- 

 scribed by Audubon, we have an excursion after the eggs 

 of these birds,* where his boat returned laden with 2500 

 eggs, of which he writes : " They afford excellent food, 

 being highly nutritious and palatable, whether boiled, roasted, 

 poached, or in omelets." After such excellent authority 

 we must allow at least the name " American turkey eggs""! 

 to remain. 



* Jardine. 

 Q2 



