FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. 145 



but also by noticing the following circumstances. The Foolish Guille- 

 mot, which lays only one, plucks the feathers from its abdomen, which 

 is thus left quite bare over a roundish space just large enough to cover 

 its single egg. The Thick-billed Guillemot does the same. The Auk, 

 on the contrary, forms two bare spots, separated by a ridge of feathers. 

 The Black Guillemot, to cover her three eggs, and to warm them all at 

 once, plucks a space bare quite across her belly. These observations 

 were made on numerous birds of all the species mentioned. In all of 

 them, the males incubate as well as the females, although the latter are 

 more assiduous. When the Guillemots are disturbed, they fly off in 

 silence. The Auks, on the contrary, emit a hoarse croaking note, which 

 they repeat several times, as they fly away from danger. The Foolish 

 Guillemot seldom if ever attempts to bite, whereas the Razor-billed Auk 

 bites most severely, and cKngs to a person''s hand until choked. The plu- 

 mage of all the birds of this family is extremely compact, closely downed 

 at the root, and difficult to be plucked. The fishermen and eggers often 

 use their skins with the feathers on as " comforters'" round their wrists. 

 The flesh is dark, tough, and not very palatable ; yet many of these birds 

 are eaten by the fishermen and sailors. 



The young, which burst the egg about the beginning of July, are 

 covered with down of a brownish-black colour. When eight or ten days 

 old they are still downy, but have acquired considerable activity. As 

 they grow up, they become excessively fat, and seem to be more at ease 

 on the water than on the land. About the middle of August they follow 

 their parents to the open sea, the latter being then seldom able to fly, 

 having dropped their quills ; and by the middle of September scarcely 

 any of these birds are to be found on or near the islands on which they 

 breed, although great numbers spend the winter in those latitudes. 



There is no perceptible difference between the sexes as to colour, but 

 the males are larger than the females. The white hue that encircles the 

 eye and extends toward the hind head is common to both sexes, but oc- 

 curs only in old birds. Thousands of these Guillemots however breed, 

 without having yet acquired it, there merely being indications of it to 

 be seen on parting the feathers on the place, where there is a natural di- 

 vision. 



The flight of the Foohsh Guillemot is rapid and greatly protracted, 

 being performed by quick and unintermitted beatings. They move 

 through the air either singly or in bands, in the latter case seldom keep- 

 VOL. iir. K 



