TEE FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. 
153 
The Foolish Guillemot, as I have said, lays only a single egg, which is the 
case with the Thick-billed Guillemot also. The Razor-billed Auk lays two, 
and the Black Guillemot usually three. I have assured myself of these facts, 
not merely by observing the birds sitting on their eggs, but also by noticing 
the following circumstances. The Foolish Guillemot, which lays only one, 
plucks the feathers from its abdomen, which is thus left quite bare over a 
roundish space just large enough to cover its single egg. The Thick-billed 
Guillemot does the same. The Auk, on the contrary, forms two bare spots, 
separated by a ridge of feathers. The Black Guillemot, to cover her three 
eggs, and to warm them all at once, plucks a space bare quite across her 
belly. These observations were made on numerous birds of all the species 
mentioned. In all of them, the males incubate as well as the females, 
although the latter are more assiduous. When the Guillemots are disturbed, 
they fly off in silence. The Auks, on the contrary, emit a hoarse croaking 
note, which they repeat several times, as they fly away from danger. The 
Foolish Guillemot seldom if ever attempts to bite, whereas the Razor-billed 
Auk bites most severely, and clings to a person’s hand until choked. The 
plumage of all the birds of this family is exti*emely compact, closely downed 
at the root, and difficult to be plucked. The fishermen and eggers often use 
their skins wifth the feathers on as “ comforters ” round their wrists. The 
flesh is dark, tough, and not very palatable ; yet many of these birds are 
eaten by the fishermen and sailors. 
The young, which burst the egg about the beginning of July, are covered 
with down of a brownish-black colour. When eight or ten days old they 
are still downy, but have acquired considerable activity. As they grow up, 
they become excessively fat, and seem to be more at ease on the water than 
on the land. About the middle of August they follow their parents to the 
open sea, the latter being then seldom able to fly, having dropped their 
quills ; and by the middle of September scarcely any of these birds are to 
be found on or near the islands on which they breed, although great numbers 
spend the winter in those latitudes. 
There is no perceptible difference between the sexes as to colour, but the 
males are larger than the females. The white line that encircles the eye 
and extends toward the hind head is common to both sexes, but occurs only 
in old birds. Thousands of these Guillemots, however breed without having 
yet acquired it, there merely being indications of it to be seen on parting 
the feathers on the place, where there is a natural division. 
The flight of the Foolish Guillemot is rapid and greatly protracted, being 
performed by quick and unintermitted beatings. They move through the 
air either singly or in bands, in the latter case seldom keeping any very 
regular order. Sometimes they seem to skim along the - surface for miles, 
Vol. Yin.— 20 
