94 



LITTLE AUK. 

 ALCA ALLE. 

 [Plate LXXIV.— Fig. 5.] 



Lath* Gen. Syn. ]}. 327 Br. Zool. II, ^'*o. 233, pi. 82. Jlrct. Zool. JVo. 429.— Turt. Sijst. I, 338. 



-^Faun. Suec. JVo. 142. Faim. GrccTiL .A^o. 54.— Brujv. Om. JV'o. 106.— Martin's Spit^h. 85.— 

 Mergulus mclanoleucos rostro acuto hrevi, Rah, Sijn. p. 135, A. 5. — >Smali fekfcfe a7ul tvMte Bwo-, 

 WiiL. 0?'7i. ]}. 343, pi. 59. — Edwards, pi. 91. — Greenland Bove, or Sea Turtle^ Albin, 1, pi. 85. — 

 Le petit Guillemot, Brisson, Om. VI, p. 73, 2 — Buffok, Ois. XVIII, p. 21. P/. ctiL JVo. 917.— 

 Bewick's JSiVds, II, p. 158.— Peale's Museum, JS'o. 2978. 



OF the history of this little stranger but few particulars are 

 known. With us it is a very rare bird, and when seen it is gene- 

 rally in the vicinity of the sea. The specimen from which the 

 figure in the plate was taken, was killed at Great Egg-harbor in 

 the month of December, 1811, and was sent to Mr. Wilson as a 

 great curiosity. It measured nine inches in length, and fourteen 

 in extent ; the bill, upper part of the head, back, wings and tail 

 were black; the upper part of the breast, and hind head were gray, 

 or white mixed with ash; the sides of the neck, whole lower parts, 

 and tips of secondaries were pure white ; feet and legs black, shins 

 pale flesh color; above each eye there was a small spot of white ;^ 

 the lower scapulars streaked slightly with the same. This bird 

 has no heel, and the exterior toe is the largest. 



The Little Auk is said to be but a rare visitant of the British 

 isles. It is met with in various parts of the north, even as far as 

 Spitzbergen; is common in Greenland, in company with the black- 

 billed species, and feeds upon the same kind of food. The Green- 

 landers call it the Ice-bird, from the circumstance of its being the 



^ In Peale's Museum there is an excellent specimen of this species, which has likewise a smaller 

 spot helow each eye. 



