34 FLAMBOROUGH HEAD. 



sure that the young Guillemots are carried down on their mothers' backs 

 and in no other way {cf. ' Zoologist,' s. s. vol. x. pp. 4342 & 4666). 



Now for what Mr. Leng has to say. Mr. Leng is the professional 

 shooter who went to Lundy Island. He has been bred to a gun; and if any 

 one ousfht to know about sea-birds, he is the man. He tells me that all 

 Guillemots know their own young ones. It is not uncommon to see an old 

 Guillemot swim up to a young one which is not hers, immediately find out 

 her mistake, and swim away. He also affirms that they know their own 

 eggs ; and that I believe : for what other purpose can so great a variety of 

 markings have been given to them ? {Cf. ' Zoologist,' vol. x. p. 3478.) 

 Questioned as to their mode of carrying their young to the water, he affirms 

 flike Lowney) that it is always done on the back. Asked if the descent is 

 not at too abrupt an angle for the little ones to stick on *, he explains that 

 at that time the descent is made at a less angle. It is not until dusk, he adds, 

 that the performance generally takes place, which may most likely account 

 for the discrepancies in the accounts even of those who have observed 

 it themselves. What he has said of the Guillemot applies equally to the 

 Razorbill — but not to the " Parrot " or Puffin, whose young remain in the 

 holes and crannies until they are old enough to get down. 



Having now done with these two authorities, I shall conclude my notes 

 on the present species by remarking that soon after my second visit to 

 Flamborough, viz. on the 16th of June, I received a white Guillemot from 

 Bailey. It was a hen bird, and seemed to have lately laid an egg. Strange 

 to say, the eye was yellow ; the legs also were yellowish brown, darkest on 

 the hinder part. 



* Cf. MacgillivTay, ' British Birds/ vol. v. p. 322. 



