The Guillemot. i4 3 



the cliffs the sea far below is seen to be dotted with birds, usually in little shoals, 

 but to gain a nearer acquaintance with the latter it is necessary to get a boat 

 and row along under the cliffs at a little distance from shore. The birds are 

 wonderfully tame, allowing the boat to come within a few feet of them before 

 they dive, making a slight splash with their feet as they go down. Numbers of 

 birds are dotted about on the sea, but they are usually collected in shoals in loose 

 order, some are diving for food, others placidly preening their feathers. Numbers 

 of birds fly past, hurrying along on rapidly beating wings close to the surface of 

 the water ; their legs and feet are extended on each side, but are naturally not 

 so conspicuous as the orange-red feet of the Puffins. When the boat gets under 

 Bempton high cliffs the sight is very grand ; rows upon rows of Guillemots can 

 be seen lining the ledges, their dark backs turned to the sea contrasting with the 

 nearly buff-white cliffs. A stream of birds passes constantly to and fro between 

 the cliffs and the sea ; but when we rowed rather close in and alarmed the birds 

 (not too suddenly) the numbers that came flying out was astonishing. The 

 Guillemot swims well, using its feet in the way usual with swimming birds ; it is 

 an excellent diver, obtaining its food in this way ; but, strange to say, its feet are 

 not used in diving, its wings alone being the propellers, the bird literally flying 

 under the surface of the water, the legs being extended backwards ; the wings 

 also furnish the steering gear when the bird is beneath the surface. This was 

 observed by Montagu in a captive bird. But Mr. Blackburn states that the 

 Guillemot uses both wings and legs at once, flying, and swimming, and steering 

 with its feet. 



Young Guillemots are popularly said to be carried down to the water on their 

 parent's backs. It seems probable that such young birds as are carried down are 

 held between the old bird's legs, or perhaps between the bill and chin and the 

 breast ; but this is less likely. Gatke stated from fifty years of observation that 

 the old birds on the water called the young, and the latter, anxiously trying to 

 get near its mother, ended by slipping off the ledge and falling with a faint splash 

 on the water. 



The Guillemot feeds on small fish, crustaceans, marine insects and small 

 mollusca. They go a long way from their breeding haunts to feed, Flamborough 

 birds going as far as the coasts of Lincoln and Norfolk, and in the evening you 

 can see a perfect stream of birds setting in at various points in the cliffs. The 

 Welsh name for this bird was Gwilym. Other local names for it (some of which 

 apply equally to the Razorbill) are Skout, Kiddaw, Sea-hen, Lary, Lavy, Murre, 

 Tinkershire, Marrot, Strany, Scuttock, Murse, Lungy, Skiddaw, Shuttock, Kuggoy, 

 Longie (Shetlands). The Norsk name is Lorn via. 



