40 
ALCAD^. 
far more comely than that of the foregoing species; its 
attitudes are less inelegant, and its manners more engaging. 
When these birds can be seen perched in small groups on 
the grey-coloured shelves of a rock, with their dark garb, 
white wing-coverts, and bright red legs and feet, they 
enhance considerably the beauty of the romantic scenery. 
On the approach of a boat this bird frequently opens its 
black beak and shows the orange-coloured inside with the 
gape and tongue, while in the exercise of its voice. 
This species is very expert in swimming and diving, 
and swims below the surface of the water with its wings 
open, as if flying; it does not continue so long under 
water as the Foolish Guillemot, and thus soon reappears. 
Its flight is performed with more ease than that of the 
last-mentioned species ; but it does not fly much by choice, 
and seldom at a great elevation, particularly in the locality 
it frequents. 
The disposition of the Black Guillemot is sociable and 
by no means shy ; it associates with most sea-birds that 
inhabit the same locality; and in its breeding places it is 
easily to be captured either by killing it with a stone or 
a stick, and may even be taken off its eggs with the 
hand. 
In confinement it soon becomes tame, but, owing to 
the impracticability of supplying it with sea-water, it does 
not exist long. 
The call-note of this species is particularly soft for a 
bird of its size, and sounds more like that of a mouse, 
a bat, or the meadow-pipit, in uttering which note it 
opens its beak very wide. 
The food on which - the Black Guillemot principally 
exists, is small Crustacea, marine insects and worms, but 
rarely small fish ; it obtains all this by diving and capturing 
