492 THE DIVING BIRDS — PYGOrODES. 



Cepphus grylle. 



THE BLACK GUILLEMOT. 



Aim grylle, Linn. Syst. Nnt. wl. 10, I. 1758, 130. 



Uria grylle, Biii'SN. Oni. l?or. 1704, 28. — Faiikii, Isis, 1S27, 635. — Maco. Hist. Brit. B. V. 1852, 



331. — Dkgl. & liKitiiE, Orii. Eur. II. 1807, 003. 

 Col ymbus grylle, LiXN. S. N. cd. 12, I. 1700, 220. 

 Cepphus grylle, BitEiiM, Hand!). Viig. Dcutsuhl. 1831, 087. — Naum. Naturg. Viig. Deutsehl. XII. 



1844, 461. — Newton, Ibis, 186.5. 519. 

 Vrin grylloidts, Bluis'N. Orii. Ror. 1704, 28 (= dmiiging pliiiimgc). 

 Uria balthica, BllUNN. 1. c. (== iiniuaturc or wiTiti'r plimiago). 

 Uria Icucoptera, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. XIV. 1817, 35. 

 Uria uretiea, Bkeiim, Lchrb. Eur. Viig. 1824, 988. 

 Cepphiis faeroccnsis, Bkeii.m, Haudl). 1831, 990. 

 Uria gnenlandica, GitAY, Li.st Gen. B. IS 10, 98. 



Hab. Coast.s of Northern and NortlnvL'stern Europe, from the White Sen to Finland imd the 

 Danish islands in the Baltic ; Hebrides, St. Ivilda, Shetland Islands, Orkney.s, Fariies, and Iceland ; 

 in North Americji, found in summer from Eastport, Me. (specimen in National Museum), to 

 Newfoundland, and probably Southern Labrador ; also in Southern Greenland. 



Sp. Char. Adult, in summer : Similar to C. Mandtii, but greater wing-coverts with at least the 

 basal half bl.ack, this seldom (piite concealed by the overlying row of coverts, and often showing 

 distinctly as a narrow band. Winter jdumuje : Similar to corresponding stage of C. Mandtii, but 

 plumage much darker, the back, scapulars, and rump being black barred with white, only the 

 e.xtreme lower part of the rump being uniform white ; white of lower parts more distinctly clouded 

 or barred with grayish dusky, and pileum with dusky prevailing. Wing-coverts with basal half, 

 or more, abruptly dusky, and secondaries and primary coverts without white terminal spots. 

 Young, first plnmagc: Similar to the winter jilumage, but white wing-coverts distinctly tipped 

 with brownish black. Downy ymimj : Uniform sooty blackish, lighter and grayer below (haixlly, 

 or not at all, distinguishable from corresponding stage of C. Mandtii). 



Wing, C.00-6.80 inches ; culmen, 1.2()-1.30 ; gonys, .5()-.C0; depth of bill through middle of 

 nostril, .40-. 45 ; tarsus, 1.20-1.3.') ; middle toe, without claw, 1.30-1.40. (Six suiinner adults) 

 Bill deep black ; interior of mouth, with legs and feet, intense vermilion-red (in life) ; iris dark 

 brown. 



This species may be readily distinguished in any stage, except the downy young, from C Mandtii 

 by the characters given above. A fine adult from Eastport, Me., collected by Professor Btxinl, 

 July 1, 1872 (No. 62381, U. S. Nat. Mus.), agrees minutely with Scandinavian examples. 



In this species, as well as in G. Mandtii and C. enlumba, there is a remarkable difference in the 

 intensity of the black, according to the length of time which has elapsed since the specimen was 

 prepared. E.^caniples of the present species killed in April, 1884, are now (July 2, 1884) deep 

 coal-black beneath, there being scarcely any difference in color between the upper and lower parts. 

 On the other hand, skins several years old are without exception decidedly fuliginous, with the 

 lower parts very appreciably browner than the upper. The difference is indeed very striking 

 when recently preparetl and older specimens are placed side by side. The downy young differ in 

 the same manner, freshly prepared binls being decidedly slaty, while those which have been 

 prepared several years are smoky brown. 



Like all the members of this very remarkable family, the Black Guillemot is an 

 inhabitant of the open sea, never frtMpuMiting or resorting to the land exce[»t for 

 purposes of reproduction ; keeping oft" from the shore, even in midwinter, and seek- 

 ing safety in the open ocean from the fury of tempestuous wintry weather, rather 

 than in sheltered bays that are ice-bound and inaccessible at that season. On the 

 European coast it breeds from the northern part of Great Britain to the Arctic 

 Ocean. 



Along the coast of Eastern Maine ami in the Bay of Fundy an inconsiderable 



