BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 449 
after severe winter-storms, as for example, in 1881-1882, 
when they could have been picked up "in cart loads,"* 
and again in 1893-1894. Mr. R. Service records many- 
birds found dead in 1869 and in 1906, when quantities 
were brought to him from the end of July to mid-September.f 
The Razorbill nests in great numbers on suitable precipi- 
tous sea-cliffs around the United Kingdom. On the north- 
west coast of Europe it breeds from Brittany as far north as 
lat. 71° in Scandinavia, and on the north-east coast of 
America and Greenland from 45° north lat. to 73° north 
lat. During late autumn and winter it is a pelagic species, 
seldom frequenting the shallower water unless under stress 
of weather. 
THE COMMON GUILLEMOT. Uria troile (Linnaeus). 
Local name — ^Ailsa Craig Cock. 
A common visitant to the Solway. 
The Common Guillemot is certainly a more numerous species 
than the Razorbill locally. Breeding as it does in Kirkcud- 
brightshire, it may be said to be a common every-day 
visitant off our shores, except in late autumn and winter, 
when it becomes more pelagic in its habits. 
A specimen of the Guillemot is included, in 1854, in a list of 
" Birds of rare and beautiful plumage " sent to Mr. Andrew 
Plenderleath of Longtown for preservation, from Sarkfoot.f 
In the autumn and winter of 1881-1882 "cartloads of them 
were washed ashore," particularly on October 14th § ; as 
also in 1859 and 1869. Similarly in March, 1894, Mr. Hugh 
Mackay records that numbers of Guillemots and Razorbills 
were washed up near Glencaple. Most of the Guillemots 
* Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, February 3rd, 1882. 
t Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1907, p. 53. 
X Dumfries Courier, March 28th, 1854. 
§ Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Sac, February 3rd, 1882. 
FF 
