THE DIVERS. 



257 



'When in nuptial costume, this species is black upon the upper part of body and fore neck ; a narrow 

 band passing from the base of the beak to the eye, a line formed by the tips of the secondary quills, 

 and the breast and belly are all pure white. In winter the neck and sides of head are white. In 

 young birds the colours are indistinct. The eye is dark brown, beak black, with a transverse line of 

 white, and foot black. The Razor-bill is emphatically a sea-bird, passing the greater part of its time 

 upon the ocean, and living from year's end to year's end almost in the same locality. In winter these 



1 = 'a*» "*>f-t*= :#— 



GREAT AUK, or THE GIANT penguin {A lea ' pinguinus or impetinis). 



birds may be seen in great numbers in all the Norwegian fiords, from which they are absent during 

 the summer. They appear likewise with some regularity upon the north shores of Germany, Holland, 

 France, and Great Britain, wending their way back at the coming of spring, to breed in more northern 

 latitudes. In the month of May they resort to the same breeding-places as the groups above 

 described, and that in even still greater numbers. Boje observed a flight of Razor-bills measuring at 

 least a thousand yards across, and which was so long in passing over his head that he had time to load 

 and fire his gun ten times into the thick of the passing multitudes. We ourselves have seen equally 

 numerous flights. Upon the Nyken during the breeding season they may be counted by hundreds of 

 thousands, sitting in pairs and little societies upon every available projection of the rock, bending and 

 vol. iv. — 151 





