WHITE-THROATED RAZOR-BILL. 



81 



from the preceding bird; and in support thereof he 

 adds the following paragraph Dr. Latham, in 

 his Synopsis, mentions his suspicion that this is no 

 other than the Razor-bill immatured ; and, in his 

 Index Ornithologicus, gives it as the young of that 

 bird. We cannot, however, but differ in opinion 

 from that excellent ornithologist, by late observa- 

 tions on the young of the Razor-bill before and 

 after they could fly, which differ only from the parent 

 bird in having no furrows in the beak, being desti- 

 tute of the white line from the bill to the eye, and 

 no white on the secondary quill-feathers ; but the 

 whole head and upper part of the neck are black, 

 which is the essential difference between that bird 

 and the Black-billed Auk. This is only found on 

 our coasts in winter. The Razor-bill breeds with us, 

 and retires in the autumn, at which time none are 

 to be found with the white cheeks and throat amongst 

 the myriads that haunt our cliffs. It is hardly pos- 

 sible, then, to conceive that the young, who are in 

 their first feathers so like the old ones, should be- 

 come more unlike them in winter, which is contrary 

 to nature ; for observation has taught us that all birds 

 become more like their parents at every moulting; 

 so that to make these birds one and the same species, 

 we must conclude both old and young change their 

 plumage in winter : but this we have no reason at 

 present to believe. And indeed it is probable that 

 whatever change may take -place, that singular line 

 in the matured Razor-bill, running from the beak to 

 the eye, never varies ; and which constitutes one of 



