284 
ANATID/E. 
the eggs. I am told that Hooded Crows are very destructive 
to the eggs, which of course are easily discovered in their 
exposed situation ; indeed, it is a wonder that they ever escape. 
So far as I am aware, the eggs do not exceed two in number, 
but both in size and colour they are subject to considerable 
variation. They are seldom under the average given by Yarrell, 
viz., two inches eight lines in length, by one inch ten lines in 
breadth. The largest I have seen was four lines longer, but of 
the same breadth. It seems that the breadth of an egg is far 
less subject to variation than its length ; nor is it improbable 
that if the unusually large specimens of the Black-throated 
Diver’s eggs to which I have alluded at p. 280 were measured, 
they would be found of the normal breadth. With regard to 
colour, the spots on the egg of the Eed-throated Diver are 
few, scattered, occasionally of large size, and of two colours — 
deep brown and brownish grey ; but the ground colour may 
be either reddish brown, olive brown, or green of almost 
any shade ; indeed I have seen it almost as light as that of 
the Wild Duck’s egg. The variety most seldom met with is 
pale warm yellowish clay colour. I think the long-shaped 
variety of the egg, having its broadest diameter near the 
middle, occurs in Shetland with somewhat unusual frequency. 
II. ALCADJE. 
THE GUILLEMOT. 
Uria troile. 
LONGIE. 
It is almost needless to state that this well-known bird, the 
lomvia of the Danes and the langivie of the Earoese, is ex- 
ceedingly abundant in these islands. It appears in large flocks 
near its breeding haunts about the end of February, and begins 
to frequent the cliffs not sooner than fully a month afterwards, 
