T50 BLACK BILLED AUK. Class IL 



positing their egg on the bare rock; and though 

 such multitudes lay contiguous, by a wonderful 

 instinct each distinguishes its own. It is also 

 matter of great amazement, that they fix their 

 egg on the smooth rock, with so exact a ba- 

 lance, as to secure it from rolling off; yet should 

 it be removed, and then attempted to be re- 

 placed by the human hand, it is extremely diffi- 

 cult, if not impossible, to find its former equili- 

 brium. 



The eggs are food to the inhabitants of the 

 coasts they frequent ; which they get with great 

 hazard, being lowered from above by ropes, 

 ' • trusting to the strength of their companions, 



whose footing is often so unstable that they are 

 forced down the precipice, and perish together. 



A. Black Alca torda. ^. A. rostro Isevi Brisson av. vi. Q2. Tal. 8. 



BILLED. compresso unisulcato, cor- Jig. 2. Hist, d'ois. ix. 3q6. 



pore toto subtus apicibusque Alca Pica. Gm. Lin. 551. 



remigum posticarum albis. Alca unisulcata. Brunnick, 



(Junior avis.) Lath. Ind. 102. 



orn. 793. id. Syn. v. 320. Br. Zool. 137- Arct. ZooL ii. 



Alca minofj le petit pingoin. 222. 



DsscRip- J_ HIS weighs only eighteen ounces: the length 



TION. 



is fifteen inches and a half; the breadth twenty- 

 five inches. The bill is of the same form with 



