546 



W1LL0CK. 



covered with soft feathers, which, with the head, neck, back, wings, 

 and tail, are of a deep mouse-coloured brown ; the tips of the lesser 

 quill-feathers white ; the whole under side of the body pure white ; on 

 the sides under the wings a few dusky lines ; from the eye to the hindhead 

 is a singular line occasioned by a division of the feathers ; legs dusky. 



These birds are found in great abundance in various parts of our 

 high rocky coasts from north to south, and in some places they per- 

 fectly swarm. It is not uncommon to see hundreds sitting- upon their 

 eggs on the ledge of a rock in a line, nearly touching- each other. 



The female lays but one egg, of a greenish colour, blotched and 

 marbled with dusky, so variable that scarce two are seen alike. They 

 seldom quit their eggs unless disturbed, but are fed with sprats and 

 other small fish by the male. In places where they are seldftm disturbed 

 it is with difficulty they are put to flight, and they may sometimes 

 be taken with the hand ; others flutter into the water, appearing not to 

 have much use of their wings. They begin to settle on their breeding 

 places early in May, and wholly leave the southern parts of the king- 

 dom by the latter end of August. 



The razorbill is frequently found in the same situation, but seldom 

 breeds on the same cliff, at least not close to or intermixed with the 

 groups of guillemots. These birds are indiscriminately called Willocks 

 and Murres in some parts. The young seldom leave the rocks till they 

 can fly, and are of the same colour with the parent birds. 



The lesser guillemot is the female, and is described to be less than 

 the male ; its weight is eighteen or nineteen ounces ; length about six- 

 teen inches. Bill and irides the same as the last. The upper part of 

 the head, hind part of the neck, back, wings, and tail are black ; from 

 the eye a dusky streak pointing backwards ; the tips of the secondary 

 quill-feathers are slightly marked with white ; the cheeks, throat, and 

 all beneath, white ; along the sides and on the thighs a few dusky 

 streaks ; legs black. 



A singular variety of this species was taken alive in the month of 

 March. Its length was sixteen inches. The upper parts of the plumage 

 where this species is usually black, are in this bird of a pale cinereous 

 brown, the margins of the feathers palest ; quills the same, with pale 

 tips ; the secondaries, as usual, tipped with white ; the under parts, 

 cheeks, and throat, as usual, white ; legs dull orange-brown. 



This bird devoured flesh as well as fish, cut into slender pieces, and 

 doubtless would have lived on fresh water, had not some defect existed 

 that caused its capture, and which probably occasioned its death, after 

 ten days' confinement in the menagerie. It had in this short time be- 



