6h BOAY 5 
LITTLE GUILLEMOT. 
“ URIA ALLE, TEM. 
PLATE CCCXXXIX. Mate ann Fremate. 
‘Hts interesting little bird sometimes makes its appearance on our 
eastern coasts during very cold and stormy weather. It does not pro- 
ceed much farther southward than the shores of New Jersey, where it 
is of very rare occurrence. Now and then some are caught in a state 
of exhaustion, as I have known to be the case especially in Passama- 
quody Bay near Eastport in Maine, and in the vicinity of Boston and 
Salem in Massachusetts. 
In the course of my voyages across the Atlantic, I have often ob- 
served the Little Guillemots in small groups, rising and flying to short 
distances at the approach of the ship, or diving close to the bow and re- 
appearing a little way behind. Now with expanded wings they would 
flutter and run as it were on the surface of the deep ; again, they would 
seem to be busily engaged in procuring food, which consisted apparent- 
ly of shrimps, other crustacea, and particles of sea-weeds, all of which 
I have found in their stomach. I have often thought how easy it 
would be to catch these tiny wanderers of the ocean with nets thrown 
expertly from the bow of a boat, for they manifest very little appre- 
hension of danger from the proximity of one, insomuch that I have 
seen several killed with the oars. ‘Those which were caught alive and 
placed on the deck, would at first rest a few minutes with their bodies 
flat, then rise upright and run about briskly, or attempt to fly off, 
which they sometimes accomplished, when they happened to go in a 
straight course the whole length of the ship so as to rise easily over 
the bulwarks. On effecting their escape they would alight on the 
water and immediately disappear. 
During my visit to Labrador and Newfoundland I met with none 
of these birds, although the cod-fishers assured me that they frequently 
breed there. I am informed by Dr Townsenp that this species is 
found near the mouth of the Columbia River. 
ad atl 
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