Ai.cid^. BIRDS. The Odili.ejiot. 425 
by the peculiar tufts of featlieis which spring from the 
buck and sides of the head. 
THE LITTLE GREBE {Pbcliceps minor), also called 
the Dabchick, and in some places the Didappei;, is 
the smallest British species of this family, and is by no 
means uncommon in this country throughout the year. 
It is widely distributed in the northern parts of the 
Old World, but is not found in America. The Little 
Grebe measures only nine inches and a half in length, 
and is nearly black above, and grayish -white beneath, 
with the cheeks and upper part of the neck reddish- 
chestnut. It frequents rushy lakes and ponds during 
the summer, but in winter resorts to small streams, 
and when the weather is severe even to estuaries and 
sheltered parts of the sea-coast. Its food consists of 
small fishes, insects, and other aquatic animals ; and 
its nest, which contains from four to six eggs, is of 
large size, and placed amongst the reeds and rushes 
which fringe its place of abode. 
THE SENEGAL COOT-GREBE {Podica senegalensis) 
is nearly allied to the true Grebes, but differs from them 
in having a well-developed tail, in the greater length 
of the legs, and in having, the posterior toe larger, 
placed nearly on the same plane as the anterior toes, 
and bordered by a membrane. Its neck is also .much 
elongated. This bird, presenting a curious combina- 
tion of characters, has frequently been placed with the 
Coots in the preceding order. It is a native of Western 
Africa, 
Family III.— ALCIDAH. 
In this family, which includes the Auks, Puffins, and 
Penguins, the wings are still smaller than in the pre- 
ceding group, frequently quite incapable of raising their 
owners into the air, and in some cases even reduced to 
a nearly rudimentary conditioii, and covered only with 
a scaly skin. In all cases, however, these organs are 
of service to the birds when swimming beneath the 
surface of the water, an occupation in which much of 
their lives is passed. The legs in these birds are placed 
quite at the hinder extremity of the body, so that 
when on shore they are under the necessity of sitting 
upright, and supporting themselves on the whole lower 
surface of the tarsus, which forms a sort of sole, and the 
hinder toe is either entirely wanting or quite rudimen- 
tary. The anterior toes are well developed and united 
by ample membranes. 
The Alcida are distributed in most parts of the 
world, but are most abundant in high northern and 
southern latitudes. They are found upon the barren 
rocky shores of the arctic and antarctic lands and 
islands, often in flocks consisting of vast numbers of 
individuals ; they pass the greater part of their time in 
the sea, which furnishes them witli an abundant supply 
of the fishes on which they chiefly prey. 
THE COMMON GUILLEMOT ( Uria Troile), which is 
likewise called the Foolish Guillemot, is one of the 
most abundant and best known British species of 
this family, and at the same time one of those which 
approaches in its characters most nearly to the Divers 
and Grebes. In common with the other Guillemots, 
it has the wings sufficiently developed to enable it to 
Von. I. 54 I 
fly, and the bill is elongated and conical ; its colour is 
a sooty black on the back and wings, except the tips 
of the secondaries, which are white ; the upper part of 
the throat is also black, but the rest of the lower sur- 
face is pure white. The length of the bird is about 
eighteen inches. 
The Common Guillemot is abundant round our 
coasts at all seasons, and breeds in thousands upon 
the ledges of the cliffs in many places. It makes no 
nest, but lays a single egg upon the bare rock, and the 
female sits upon the egg in an upright position. The 
young, when hatched, remain for a time upon tire ledge 
of rock, but when arrived at a certain age, the old birds 
are said to take their offspring on their backs, and fly 
with them down into the sea. 
THE RINGED GUILLEMOT ( Uria lacrijmans) and the 
Black Guillemot {Uria Grylle) are also common 
European and British .species ; the former closely 
resembles the Common Guillemot, but has a white 
ring surrounding each eye, and giving off a narrow line, 
which runs backwards on the head ; and the latter is 
of a black colour, with a large white patch upon each 
wing. The Black Guillemot is also abundant on the 
arctic shores of America. 
THE PUFFIN {Fratercula arctica), also called the 
Sea-parrot and Coultep.neb in allusion to the form 
of its bill, is a summer visitor to our shores, on some 
parts of which it breeds in vast numbers. The female 
deposits her single egg, sometimes in the fissures of 
the cliffs, sometimes in burrows which she excavates 
in soft ground to a depth of about Ihree feet, and 
sometimes in rabbit burrows, the possession of which 
she disputes with the rightful owners. On land the 
Puffin is a very awkward bird ; but it flies swiftly, and 
swims and dives well. 
THE RAZOR-BILL {Uiamaiiia torda) is another spe- 
cies remarkable for the singular form of its bill, which 
is considerably longer than that of the Puffin, but very 
much compressed and much arched towards the point. 
'I'he bill is black, with three grooves and a white line; 
the upper surface and wings are black, with a narrow 
streak running from the base of the bill to each eye, 
and the tips of the secondaries and tertiaries white ; 
the whole lower surface is pure white, and the feet are 
nearly black. The length of the adult bird is about 
seventeen inches. The habits of the Razor-bill closely 
resemble those of the Guillemots ; it is most abundant 
in the arctic seas, but occurs more or less on all the 
European coasts. 
THE LITTLE AUK {Mergulus Alle). — In this bird 
the bill is shorter and thicker than in the Guillemots, 
and the general form of the body is short and stout. 
It is a small species, less than nine inches in length ; 
the head and throat and all the upper surface are 
black, with a small spot over each eye, and the tips of 
the secondaries and tertiaries white ; the lower surface 
is white, the bill black, and the feet yellowish-brown. 
In winter the throat is white. The Little Auk is 
found abundantly in the arctic seas, and occurs not 
uncommonly round the British coasts in winter. 
THE GREAT AUK {Alca impennis). — This bird, 
which is nearly, if not quite extinct, is a native of the 
arctic seas, and was formerly met with occasionally 
