THE DIVERS. 251 



breadth twenty-two inches, length of wing six and a half inches, and of tail two inches. The range of 

 the Black Guillemot extends from about 8o° to 53 north latitude : within this zone it is met with on 

 every sea-coast. These birds are seldom seen assembled in large numbers ; they generally arrive in 

 small parties, or in pairs. It is only when the sea is frozen over, that they congregate together 

 around any openings that may be met with in the ice, and as soon as opportunity offers, they again 

 disperse, and distribute themselves among their usual haunts. As the severity of winter increases, 

 they migrate further towards the south, and it is only at such seasons that they occur upon our own shores. 

 There is always something cheerful in the aspect of these birds, whether they are seen sitting upright 

 on the rocks, or swimming and diving in their proper element ; they float upon the water light and 

 buoyant, and as they row themselves gracefully along, their bright red feet often become visible above 

 the surface. When they dive, their movements are equally graceful ; a single backward stroke of their 

 feet raises their tails into the air, and instantly they disappear, without any visible disturbance of the 

 water around them. As soon as they are fairly submerged, they partially open their wings, and by the 

 aid of these^ as well as of their feet, they shoot along with great rapidity, remaining under water about 

 two minutes before they again show themselves. When the sea is tranquil and the water clear, their 

 course may be easily traced for a considerable distance, but we think that some observers have over- 

 estimated the depth to which they are able to plunge. Their flight is tolerably good, although, owing 

 to the shortness of their wings, they are compelled to make such rapid strokes as to produce a whirling 

 sound. When about to fly, they rise from the sea with some little difficulty, and have to make 

 considerable efforts in order to get the necessary impetus ; but so soon as they have attained a 

 certain elevation, they can mount rapidly to the top of the cliffs, upon which they frequently take their 

 station. Their voice differs considerably from that of the generality of their congeners ; instead of the 

 usual scream it is rather a whistling note. About the beginning of March, they begin to assemble at 

 their breeding-places in small flocks, seldom consisting of more than thirty or forty together, although 

 millions of other birds may resort to the same locality ; and here each pair selects a suitable rent or 

 fissure in the rock, at a short distance from the entrance cf which, towards the end of April or beginning 

 of May, the female lays her two eggs upon the bare stone. The eggs are tolerably large, with coarse 

 lustreless shells of a dingy whitish or blueish green colour, spotted with ashy green, and streaked with 

 brown or blackish brown patches. Should the eggs first laid be removed, as they very frequently are 

 when the breeding-places are accessible, the breeding pair will lay a second time, but usually only a 

 single egg. The parents take their turns in the task of in cubation, towards the close of which they sit 

 so assiduously that they will suffer themselves to be captured rather than desert their charge. After 

 the lapse of twenty-four days, the young make their appearance, clad in a thick covering of greyish 

 down ; at first they are diligently fed upon sand-worms, small molluscs, sand-eels, and similar fare, but 

 they are soon able to fish for themselves ; they swim well from their earliest infancy, but are not able 

 to dive until they are fully fledged. In Greenland and Iceland, great numbers of these birds are killed 

 and eaten, the Norwegians, however, are content to take their eggs. Their flesh has a strong 

 flavour of train-oil, still it may be rendered eatable if properly cooked ; in Lapland, the young birds are 

 often brought to table ; the feathers, also, are used to fill beds, but they are chiefly profitable on 

 account of their eggs, which, although they have a very peculiar taste, are eagerly sought after. In the 

 British Isles, according to Macgillivray, the Black Guillemot has no breeding-places south of the Tweed 

 and Solway ; the most southern point being the Bass Rock at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, and 

 the Isle of Man. 



The TRUE GUILLEMOTS ( Una) are larger than the above birds, but very similar in structure ; 

 their beak is elongated, of moderate length, straight and sharply-pointed, slightly vaulted above, and 



