LITTLE AUK. 
45 
impossible for the birds to obtain them from thence during 
the two minutes that they remain emerged while in the act 
of diviner. 
O 
The present species is much more expert in its motions 
on land than the Guillemots ; it walks about with ease, and 
its flight is also much quicker, and when on the wing, re¬ 
sembles the flight of our Starling, This bird is not shy ; 
but by far more watchful of the approach of man than the 
last described. 
Its call-note sounds like the word tr^, eye, eye ! gine, me, 
me! uttered in a piping tone, and is frequently repeated, 
particularly during the breeding season. 
The Little Auk measures eight inches and three-quarters ; 
the beak seven lines; the tarsus nine lines and a half ; the 
wing four inches nine lines. 
The adult bird, in summer, has the head, cheeks, throat, 
and neck, deep dusky black ; above the eye is a white spot ; 
the upper plumage black; the wings dusky black ; the 
secondaries are tipped with white ; the tertials edged with the 
same ; the throat, front, sides of the neck, and all the under 
parts white; the sides of the head white, streaked with 
dusky, forming an indistinct narrow band towards the 
occiput : the beak is black ; the legs and feet are olivaceous 
brown ; the eyes dusky. In winter the chin, throat, and 
part of the neck are white. 
The egg figured 282 is that of the Little Auk. 
