Birds. 1183 



confirmed by Dr. John Davy. See his " Notice of Guano from the 

 Yorkshire Coast, and from the north Coast of Scotland," in Jameson's 

 ' Edinboro' New Philosophical Journal,' p. 313, for October, 1844. 

 Also, on the " Early History of Guano," refer to the same Journal, p. 

 410. And at the recent meeting of the British Association held at 

 Cambridge, Mr. Trevelyan observed on the guano of the Faroe Isles, 

 that it is considered quite equal to that from Peru or Ichaboe. 



Little Auk, Mergulus Alle. The furrows or grooves on the up- 

 per mandible of this genus are only indistinct. Mr. J. Grey re- 

 ceived a specimen which was shot on the Tees, near Greatham, Oct. 

 1841. In the same month and year, Mr. Yarrell relates (vol. iii. p. 

 359) that " Dr. Edward Clarke, of Hartlepool, sent me word, that after 

 a violent storm of wind from n. n. e. which lasted several days, his at- 

 tention was directed, by pilots and fishermen on the look-out, to 

 various flocks of small black and white birds, then close in shore. 

 There were several hundreds of them, which were unknown to these 

 seafaring men, but which proved to be the little auk. Many were 

 obtained, five or six being killed at each shot, the birds were so nu- 

 merous. The same thing happened at the same time at Redcar, on 

 the Yorkshire coast, but after two or three days, the wind abating, 

 they were seen no more." This arctic species is generally considered 

 very scarce on our sea-shores, but it has occasionally been noticed 

 even in some of the inland counties. 



Puffin, Fratercula arctica. Not unfrequent in summer off Har- 

 tlepool, where it is vulgarly called Tommy Noddy. The lead-co- 

 loured, bright orange and yellow bill, with its peculiar shape, and its 

 deep furrows, gives this bird a most extraordinary appearance. 



Razor-bill, Alca Torda. Very common in the spring and sum- 

 mer. The black-billed auk of Bewick {Alca Pica, Linn.) is the 

 young of the present species. The upright gait of the puffin and auks 

 when walking, causes much surprise and amusement to young sailors, 

 and others who are unacquainted with them. Linnaeus well says of 

 the Alcae, " in terra stabulantes, erecte incedunt." The Alcidae and 

 Colymbidae usually advance with their tarsi and toes altogether placed 

 flat upon the ground. The plumage of these birds, and in fact, of 

 most of the aquatic species, is close, thick and polished, and being- 

 covered or impregnated with oil, with a great mass of down next their 

 bodies, keeps the water from immediate contact with their skin, and 

 so affords warmth and dryness to them, when diving or swimming in 

 that element, which they most delight in and principally inhabit. 



Fulmar Petrel, Procellaria glacialis. This is a good-sized bird, 



