208 ALCID^. 



derable numbers on the north-western extremity of the island, 

 where the high and precipitous rocks afford them facihties for in- 

 cubation. They were not, however, so plentiful as either the 

 razorbills or puffins, but they frequented the same rocks indis- 

 criminately. -^ * ^ The young guillemots I had frequent 

 opportunities of examining ; they were, when excluded from the 

 shell, covered with a dark grey down of a whitish colour under- 

 neath." The greatest haunt of these birds in the breeding season 

 that I have visited is the extensive range of stupendous cliffs at 

 Horn Head in Donegal, to which immense numbers resort. Situa- 

 tions for their nests are selected at various heights, some being low 

 down near the sea. They are said to come here in March, and 

 depart about " Lammas'*^ (12th August) : their eggs are stated to 

 be deposited in clefts of the rock as well as on the " open flags." 

 The rocks of Tory Island in this vicinity are also tenanted by 

 these birds in summer. Between this island and Horn Head, 

 two or three pair only were seen by Mr. G. C. Hyndman on the 

 8th of August, 1845 ; one pair was accompanied by their young, 

 almost full grown. 



At Achil, in June 1834, we learned that guillemots breed 

 on the Bill's Eock ofP that island, and the limestone cliffs of Ar- 

 ranmore, off the entrance to Galway Bay, were found by ourselves 

 to be tenanted by vast multitudes of them and razorbills. On 

 the cliffs of Kerry they commonly breed, as they do on those of 

 Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow, Dublin, &c., and the adja- 

 cent islands. In the month of July 1837, 1 observed them about 

 the rocks of Ireland's Eye, off Howth ; they breed at the neigh- 

 bouring island of Lambay. When sailing up Dublin Bay on 

 the morning of September 4, 1845, several of these birds and 

 their young came under my notice. 



A gentleman of my acquaintance, fishing in Belfast Bay, off 

 Crawfordsburn, on the 2Stli and 29th of August, 1845, was 

 much entertained by observing the habits of these birds and their 

 young, of which he saw great numbers. The young were about 

 one-third less than their parents, and uttered a shrill squeaking 

 note, while that of the old was hoarse and guttural ; — like a 



