ALCID^. 427 



Common Guillemot. Lomvia troile (Linn.). 



[3Iers, ]\Iairs, Murre, Pick-bill Murre, Brown-bill, "Willock, Eligoog.] 



Eesident and numerous all along the coasts in spring and summer, but 

 usually keeps out at sea in winter. Breeds on Laud)- Island in immense 

 numbers, on the north coast near Baggy Point, where there are a few, 

 and on some of the cliffs of the south coast in certain localities. Bellamy 

 obtained a young bird, July 23rd, 1830, from Oreston. Mr. Gatcombe 

 mentions one in full breeding-dress December 21st, 1872, at Plymouth, 

 and another on February 7th, 1874 (Zool. 1873, p. 3493 ; 1874, p. 3943). 

 Great numbers were thrown up dead on Braunton Sands after a heavy 

 gale at the end of September 1859 (M. A. M., Zool. 1859, p. 6762). 

 Sometimes the Common Guillemot is driven inland, and we were once 

 shown a specimen which had been killed near Topsham Bridge on the 

 river Clyst. A singular variety of a pale colour, almost white, was shot 

 by Mr. JElse on Torbay, Is^ovember 27th, 1883 (W. Pengelly, Zool. 1884, 

 p. 71), and a pure white specimen was killed by Mr. Drummond, also on 

 Torbay ; both these birds are in the Torquay Museum. 



The variety known as the Bridled or llinged Guillemot is met with off 

 Plymouth, according to Mr. Gatcombe, individuals being sometimes 

 brought in by the mackerel boats in spring mixed with sjiecimens of the 

 ordinary form, but only two or three, out of many hundreds of Guillemots 

 examined, belonged to this variety (Zool. 1872, p. 2983). Mr. Gatcombe 

 believed that the aperture of the eye is larger than in the normal form, 

 and informed us that the figure of the " Bridled Guillemot " in Morris's 

 ' British Jiirds ' was drawn by himself. Specimens of this variety oc- 

 curred at Sla])ton in 1852 (C. Prideaux,Zool. 1852, p. 3474) ; on the Tamar, 

 January 291h, 1853 (J. G., ' Naturalist,' 1853, p. 228); on Torbay in 

 1851, (3ctober 15th, 1869,' and January 27th, 1872 (Yon H., Zool. 

 1870, p. 1984, and J. H. G., Zool. 1872, p. 3134); also at Plymouth, 

 April and October 1867 (J. B. P., MS. Notes); one on the sands seven 

 miles from Kingsbridge, February ]8s3, being the only one seen there 

 for eighteen years (P. P. N., in litt.). Mr. E. A. S. Elliot, however, 

 informs us that he has had many of this variety, both in summer and 

 winter plumage, brought to him, and that he has shot some himself on 

 the coast in the Kings))ri(lge district. It has also been met with at 

 Lundy Island, but is said to be rare (Howard Saunders, Yarrell's B. Birds, 

 4th ed. iv. p. 73). 



Examjiles of the Bridled Guillemot have also been met with on tlic 

 Cornish and Dorset coasts. 



The Common (jfuillemot is a very abundant species in ])oth the Jiristol 

 and English Channels, and numbers arc to 1)0 seen on the salt water off 

 l)oth the north and south coasts throughout the year. In April the ])irds 

 resort to their breeding-stations, of which there are several very populous 

 ones on either side of the entrance of the Bristol (flannel, on l-uiidy od" 

 the coast of North Devon, and on Skoraer, Skokholm, and the " Eligoog"' 



