ALCINAE. 705 
THE LITTLE AUK. 
MéErcutus ALLE (Linneus). 
This species—also called the Rotche or Rotge, names apparently 
of Scandinavian origin—is a tolerably regular winter-visitor to the 
northern coasts of the British Islands; and, though less frequent 
southward, it occurs as far as the Channel. After stormy weather, 
examples have been obtained at some distance up the Thames and 
other rivers, as well as at many places inland ;- while many hundreds 
were taken, and far more were noticed, on the British coasts, during 
the exceptionally severe weather of January 1895. Birds in full 
summer-plumage are sometimes observed, and one of these was 
obtained on the Monach Islands, in the Outer Hebrides, on June 
24th 1893. On the coast of Wales the species occurs almost every 
winter ; while it is not unusual in Ireland. 
During the colder months the Little Auk frequents the North Sea, 
and is distributed over the Atlantic as far south as the Azores and 
the Canaries. Although resident in Iceland throughout the year, its 
only breeding-place there appears to be on Grimsey, in the extreme 
north; but on and about Spitsbergen—from lat. 73° N. to the 
drift ice at 82°—-its numbers are almost incredible. In 1896 Dr. 
Nansen observed it as early as February 25th, off Franz Josef Land ; 
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