36 
ALCADE. 
not frequent in the Baltic, but more so between Heligoland 
and the mouth of the Elbe, and along the Dutch coast; some 
instances are also on record of its having occurred on the 
lakes in Switzerland. The sea is mostly its favourite place of 
resort, for the bird appears to be very restless whenever it 
loses sight of that element, either by being driven inland 
by an enemy, or located on fresh-water in a state of cap¬ 
tivity. 
The Foolish Guillemot has obtained its name from the 
position it assumes at the breeding season, for the bird 
remains squatted, as it were, on the shelf of a rock, watching 
unconcerned the approach of a boat or other enemy, until 
it is approached near enough to be knocked down with a 
stick. 
In places where innumerable flocks of Guillemots and 
many other sea-birds breed, numbers sit in rows, one be¬ 
side the other, and when one flies away all successively take 
wing in such regular order that when seen at a certain 
distance, these white-bellied birds appear as if they were 
actually strung together; they never take wing in a body, 
but always one after another. Again, when they can be 
seen sitting in a long string on the edge of some cliff, their 
behaviour is most amusing, for the birds keep complimenting 
each other right and left where they sit, and also welcome 
the new comers, by bowing to them, and uttering their 
call-notes, which sound like the words oerrrrrr, merrrrrr, 
girrrrrr ! &c. 
This bird is very sociable, not only among its own species, 
but towards every branch of its family, as well as Sea Gulls : 
nevertheless, each species keeps exclusively to its own shelf 
or ridge. 
The reproduction of this species is carried on with the 
least care imaginable beyond the selection of a spot on the 
