of tlie Greater Black-backed Gull, the distinctly repeated cry 

 which has given its name to the Kittiwake, and, occasion- 

 ally, as something unusual seemed to pervade the dense rows 

 of Guillemots, aloud, hoarse murmur, resembling the cheering 

 of some distant multitude, together with the motion of the 

 freshening sea, and the beating of the surge against the rocks, 

 all contributed to render this one of the finest scenes in nature. 



Whilst upon its egg, the Guillemot will remain so stupidly 

 seated (and from this circumstance it has probably derived its 

 name of foolish Guillemot) as to allow a noose, at the end of 

 a long stick, to be passed over its neck ; and by this means 

 immense numbers of them are annually taken by the inhabi- 

 tants of the island of St. Kilda, who subsist almost entirely 

 on sea birds ; an interesting account of their mode of caj)tur- 

 ing the different species has been given by Mr. G. C. Atkin- 

 son, in the Transactions of the Natural History Society 

 of Neivcastle. 



The Guillemot lays one egg only, towards the end of May 

 or beginning of June ; it is amazingly large ; one which I have 

 seen exceeds those on the Plate very considerably in size, and 

 measures in length, over the surface of the egg, 5 inches, 

 being ylths more than those figured, and in circumference 7^ 

 inches, or, 1| inch more. The size of the Guillemot's egg is 

 more striking when compared with that of other birds. 



The weight of the bird is about 24 ounces, that of its 

 egg* 3 ounces 7 drams. 



The weight of the lai'ge egg mentioned above is 5 ounces 

 7 drams 40 grains. 



The weight of the Common Crow is 19 ounces, that of its 

 egg is only 5 drams 49 grains. 



The weight of the King Uove is 20 ounces, that of its egg 

 5 drams 30 grains. 



* The above weights ai'e not the correct weights of tlie frebh egg, but ' 

 merely of the shell filled with water; they, however, answer the same pur- 

 pose for comparison. 



