WILLOCK. 



547 



come docile, and would come to the side of the pond to be fed ; this g ave 

 us an opportunity of observing- its motions when diving- for its food ; and 

 it was evident that all its evolutions under water were performed by its 

 wing-s alone, the legs being thrown back. It is literally flying- in 

 water, for the wing-s have exactly the same action, except that they 

 are not quite so much extended, nor so rapidly moved as when flying 

 in the air. By thus converting- its short wings into fins, its progressive 

 motion is rapid, and the body is easily turned by the exertion of one 

 wing more or less than the other, for neither the tail nor the legs 

 gave it the least bias. It is only on the surface of the water that the 

 legs are used as oars. 



*It has been ascertained, beyond a doubt, that Montagu was mistaken 

 in his opinion that the guillemot, and lesser guillemot, were a distinct 

 species ; the opinion of Dr. Fleming, who had the best opportunities of 

 observation, being corroborated by that of Temminck ; yet it may not 

 be unacceptable to some readers, to peruse our author's very plausible 

 reasons for a contrary opinion. 



In the latter end of January, 1805, a very cold and severe winter, in 

 the west of England, several of the foolish guillemots were shot, and 

 one, examined by Colonel Montagu, was found, upon dissection, to be 

 a female, weighing about thirty ounces. This had the exact plumage 

 of those which frequent our rocks in summer, and in every respect 

 so exactly corresponded with the summer dress of the Willock, (Uria 

 troile,) that to him it seemed to prove, beyond all doubt, that the 

 lesser guillemot is perfectly distinct, and that the Willock, at no season, 

 is differently marked ; the colour, even in January, not being black, as 

 in the lesser species, but of the usual dark brown. 



In support of a contrary opinion, a young Willock, full grown, ex- 

 cepting the wing and tail, examined by him, had the plumage on the 

 lower part of the back and rump, brown mixed with grey ; some of the 

 lesser coverts of the wings the same ; the feathers of the tail margined 

 and tipped rufous-white ; the upper part of the neck before, and the 

 throat, as far as the dark colour usually extends, was mottled black and 

 white ; these markings pass round the sides of the head behind the eyes, 

 and meet behind the nape in an obscure narrow band ; the feathers on 

 these parts being white, tipped with black, not distinctly marked, some 

 black and others white. The rest is like the foolish guillemot, but 

 darker about the head and hind neck. The inside of the mouth yel- 

 lowish flesh-colour; length of the bill to the nostrils, one inch and 

 a half ; to the gape two and three-quarters. Admitting this to be the 

 young of the foolish species, of which there can be no doubt, as no other 



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