BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 451 
of Castle O'er records an involuntary visitor found on the 
public road near Eskdalemuir.* On January 21st, 1890, a 
pair of Guillemots actually entered the mill-race below the 
Town Mills in Dumfries. One was killed by boys, and was 
found on dissection to contain eight parr, two of these 
over seven inches in length : the other bird escaped.f 
In 1908 this species was recorded from three unexpected 
localities : Mr. A. Robertson tells me a Guillemot was picked 
up alive at Crichope Linn (Closeburn) on September 21st, 
but died after three days ; while on October 23rd another, so 
Major McCall informs me, was found on Moniaive Golf Course 
(Glencairn), and on November 30th a third was found in 
a moribund condition in the River Shinnel at Auchenbrac 
(Tynron). All these places it will be seen are some 
fifteen to twenty miles from the sea, and the appearance 
of this species so far inland is, of course, exceptional, and 
due to stormy weather. 
The " Ringed " or " Bridled " Guillemot, which Howard 
Saunders says is " now generally admitted to be a variety, with 
an unusual development of white round the eye and along 
the crease or furrow behind it, "J has been noticed amongst 
the carcases washed up on our shore from time to time. 
The Common Guillemot nests in immense numbers on 
suitable sea-cliffs around the British Isles. On the north- 
west coast of Europe it breeds along the west coast of 
France to as far north as Bear Island ; and on the north- 
east coast of America from New England to lat. 64® north. 
THE BLACK GUILLEMOT. Uria grylle (Linn^us). 
A very rare visitor to our coast. 
The Black Guillemot is of very rare occurrence in the 
Sol way Firth. A single bird in full breeding-dress was 
* Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, April 17th, 1901. 
t Dumfries Courier and Herald, February 14th, 1890. 
+ Man. Brit. Birds, 1899, p. 700. 
FF 2 
