Common Guillemot. . 511 



lives in and on the sea, and accordingly their legs are placed so 

 far behind that they are wholly incapable of walking on land ; 

 not, however, at so great an angle with the body as in the Divers, 

 so that they are able to sit in an upright attitude, resting equally 

 on the feet and the whole length of the tarsus. Then their 

 wings are little more than rudimentary, and are advanced so 

 far forwards that, though admirable as oars or fins in propelling 

 them through the water, they are of comparatively little service 

 in enabling them to fly through the air. But they do literally 

 fly through the water, the wings having exactly the same action, 

 though not quite so much extended nor so rapidly moved, as 

 when they are flying in the air. On this account the presence 

 of any member of this family in our inland county is indeed 

 marvellous. 



213. COMMON GUILLEMOT (Uria troile). 



This is more abundant, perhaps, than any other of the sea-birds 

 which swarm in some portions of our coasts, and is common 

 enough all round our island. But its powers of locomotion on 

 land are very limited, owing to the backward position of the legs, 

 and the shortness of the wings ; so that it is wonderful how any 

 individual of this species ever reached Wiltshire. I am indebted 

 to Mr. Grant, of Devizes, for the information that it has been 

 found in our county, one having come into his hands for 

 preservation, which had been killed at Salisbury in December, 

 1871. It breeds in vast colonies on the precipitous cliffs on the 

 coast, laying its one large egg on the narrow ledge, in close 

 proximity to scores of others, but the variety of colour, shape, 

 and size of these eggs is astonishing. There is no nest, but the 

 Guillemot sits in an upright position on her single egg, which is 

 conical in shape, and very broad at one end, and very narrow at 

 the other ; and this form protects it from rolling off the shelving 

 rock on which it is deposited, since if accidentally disturbed it 

 merely describes a circle within its own length. I have four eggs 

 in my possession which, common as they are, and only worth a 

 few pence, I value more than any others in the whole collection, 



