LITTLE AUK. 
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rather deep, and very much ‘by the stern,’ as Mr. Abel 
Chapman has remarked; so that, apart from its diminutive 
size, it is easily recognisable. The Little Auk bears a remark- 
able resemblance to the Diving Petrels (Felecanoides) of the 
Antarctic seas. “ Both the birds,” says the Rev. A. E. Eaton, 
” have a hurried flight ; both of them, while flying, dive into 
the sea without any interruption in the action of their wings, 
and also emerge from beneath the surface flying, and they 
both of them swim with the tail rather deep in the water. 
But this resemblance does not extend to other particulars of 
their habits. The Rotche, when breeding, usually flies and 
fishes in small flocks of six or a dozen birds, and breeds in 
communities of considerable size, which are excessively noisy. 
Diving Petrels, on the other hand, are more domestic in 
their mode of living, fishing and flying, for the most part, in 
pairs or alone, and breeding sporadically.” 
Seebohm gives the following account of the habits of the 
species : — 
“ The Little Auk is almost exclusively an oceanic bird, and 
seldom approaches land except during the breeding season. It 
sleeps on the water with its head tucked under its wing, and in 
rough weather is often tossed from wave to wave without apparent 
injury. It is a very expert diver, and can fly with great rapidity, 
though it is obliged to move its short wings almost as quickly 
as a Humming-bird or a Hawk-moth. Its flight is without 
undulations, but it turns with great ease. It is one of the most 
gregarious of birds, and Arctic travellers have sometimes 
estimated the flocks to consist of millions. It does not appear 
to be very active on the land. It is said to sit on the tarsus as 
well as on the foot, but only rests on its feet when running. 
At all seasons of the year flocks of these little birds may be 
observed in the open Polar seas, diving in search of food or 
perching on the masses of ice, Unlike the Guillemot and 
Razor-bill it is a very noisy bird, and its notes are constantly 
uttered both when on the wing and when at rest, either on the 
rocks or on the ice floes, or even when sitling on its egg. Its 
specific name of alle is said to bear a slight resemblance to its 
note. 
Soon after the young are hatched their parents convey 
them to the sea, where they may often be seen long before they 
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