WILLOCK. 
547 
come docile, and would come to the side of the pond to be fed ; this g'ave 
us an opportunity of observing’ its motions when diving for its food ; and 
it was evident that all its evolutions under water were performed by its 
wings alone, the legs being thrown back. It is literally flying in 
water, for the wings have exactly the same action, except that they 
are not quite so much extended, nor so rapidly moved as when flying 
in the air. By thus converting its short wings into fins, its progressive 
motion is rapid, and the body is easily turned by the exertion of one 
wing more or less than the other, for neither the tail nor the legs 
gave it the least bias. It is only on the surface of the water that the 
legs are used as oars. 
*It has been ascertained, beyond a doubt, that Montagu was mistaken 
in his opinion that the guillemot, and lesser guillemot, were a distinct 
species ; the opinion of Dr. Fleming, who had the best opportunities of 
observation, being corroborated by that of Temminck ; yet it may not 
be unacceptable to some readers, to peruse our author’s very plausible 
reasons for a contrary opinion. 
In the latter end of January, 1805, a very cold and severe winter, in 
the west of England, several of the foolish guillemots were shot, and 
one, examined by Colonel Montagu, was found, upon dissection, to be 
a female, weighing about thirty ounces. This had the exact plumage 
of those which frequent our rocks in summer, and in every respect 
so exactly corresponded with the summer dress of the Willock, ( Uria 
troile^ that to him it seemed to prove, beyond all doubt, that the 
lesser guillemot is perfectly distinct, and that the Willock, at no season, 
is differently marked ; the colour, even in January, not being black, as 
in the lesser species, but of the usual dark brown. 
In support of a contrary opinion, a young Willock, full grown, ex- 
cepting the wing and tail, examined by him, had the plumage on the 
lower part of the back and rump, brown mixed with grey ; some of the 
lesser coverts of the wings the same ; the feathers of the tail margined 
and tipped rufous-white ; the upper part of the neck before, and the 
throat, as far as the dark colour usually extends, was mottled black and 
white ; these markings pass round the sides of the head behind the eyes, 
and nieet behind the nape in an obscure narrow band ; the feathers on 
these parts being white, tipped with black, not distinctly marked, some 
black and others white. The rest is like the foolish guillemot, but 
darker about the head and hind neck. The inside of the mouth yel- 
lowish flesh-colour ; length of the bill to the nostrils, one inch and 
a half ; to the gape two and three-quarters. Admitting this to be the 
young of the foolish species, of which there can be no doubt, as no other 
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