862 ALGA 



stone or buffy white, sometimes with a faint greenish tinge, 

 marked with purplish grey shell-markings and brownish black 

 or black surface spots and blotches, which are more numerous 

 at the larger end, and in size measures about 3'28 by 2*0. 

 When held against the light the inner membrane of the empty 

 egg is green. 



1188. GREAT AUK. 

 ALGA IMPENNIS. 



Alca impennis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 210 (1766) ; Namn. xii. p. 630, 

 Taf. 337 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 469, pi. cxxix. ; Gould, B. of E. v. 

 pi. 400 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. v. pi. 46 ; Dresser, viii. p. 563, pi. 620 ; 

 (Ogilvie Grant), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. p. 563 ; (Kidgway), p. 19 ; 

 Saunders, p. 697 j Lilford, vi. p. 81, pi. 37. 



Geir-fugl, Icel. 



Being undoubtedly an extinct species, the Great Auk is 

 scarcely entitled to a place in the present work. It used 

 formerly to inhabit the North Atlantic Ocean, south of the 

 Arctic Circle. 



1189. THE GUILLEMOT. 

 ALCA TROILE. 



Aka troile (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 220 (1766) ; (Hewitson), ii. p. 455, 

 pi. cxxiv. ; (Gould), B. of E. v. pi. 396 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. v. pi. 48 ; 

 Dresser, viii. p. 567, pi. 621 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Enip. p. 273 ; 

 (Ogilvie Grant), Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. p. 573 j (Saunders), p. 699 ; 

 (Lilford), vi. p. 83, pi. 38 ; Uria lomvia, Keys, and Bias. Wirbelth. 

 p. 238 (1840, nee. Pall.) ; Naum. xii. p. 508, Taf. 331 ; U. ringvia, 

 Briinn. Orn. Bor. p. 28 (1764) ; U. calif ornica (Bryant), P. Bost. 

 Soc. viii. p. 142, figs. 3, 5 (1861) ; Eidgway, p. 18 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 

 0. p. 1219. 



Guillemot troile, French ; Lumme, German ; Zcekoet, Dutch ; 

 L&ngnefia, Langvia, Icel.; Langncebet Teiste, Dan.; Spidsalke, 

 Norweg. ; Sillgrissla, Swed. 



Ad. (Yorkshire). Head, neck, upper parts, wings, and tail dark brown, 

 the back tinged with slate ; secondaries tipped with white ; under parts 

 below the neck white, the flanks streaked with dusky brown ; bill black ; 

 legs and feet blackish olivaceous, the webs less black ; iris brown. Gape 

 2*9, wing 7'7, tail 2'05, tarsus 1-05 inch. Sexes alike. In winter the 

 upper parts are darker, the throat and sides of the head white, in places 

 slightly mottled with brown, with a dark streak behind the eye through 

 the white on the side of the head. The ringed variety, U. ringvia, differs 

 only in having a narrow ring round the eye, and a streak passing from the 

 eye along the side of the head, white. 



