LITTLE AUK. 



MERGULUS ALLE {Linn.). 



Alca alle, Linn. S. N. i. p. 211 (1766). 



Mergulus alLe, Naum. xii. p. 55 ; Macg. v. p. 341 ; Yarr. 



ed. 4, iv. p. 85; Dresser, viii. p. 591. 

 Arctica alle, Hewitson, ii. p. 465. 



Guillemot nain, French ; Kleine Liunme, German. 



Here is the presentment of a bird entirely unknown 

 to me in life, but very fully treated of by all our 

 standard authorities ; I will therefore only quote from 

 them to the extent of saying that its breeding-haunts 

 are confined to rocks within the Arctic circle, that it 

 wanders, occasionally in large numbers, during the 

 winter months to British seas, and has frequently been 

 picked up alive and dead in various parts of our Islands 

 at considerable distances from salt-water. I may men- 

 tion, however, that in my own county of Northampton 

 some four or five storm-driven Puffins have been recorded 

 in local journals as Little Auks, three of these birds 

 having been sent to me for examination, at my request, 

 after the publication of the records to which I refer. I 

 am only acquainted with one occurrence of the subject 

 of this article in our county. 



