Birds of Guernsey (1879) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 203 pages of information about Birds of Guernsey (1879).

Birds of Guernsey (1879) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 203 pages of information about Birds of Guernsey (1879).
the base of the bill, and, what is still more remarkable, the bill is differently formed; it is neither of the same size, shape, nor colour, and the pieces of which it is composed are not even the same.  It is small sliced off (trongue) in front, especially at the lower mandible, wanting the pleat (ourlet) at the base, and flattened laterally on a level with the nostrils, where a solid horny skin of a bright lead-colour is replaced by a short membrane.”  The whole paper by Dr. Bureau on this subject is most interesting, but is much too long for me to insert here; the nature, however, of the change which takes place must be so interesting to many of my readers who are familiar with the Puffin in its breeding plumage, and who, in spite of the Bird Act, perhaps occasionally enjoy a day’s “Barbeloting,” that I could not help quoting as much of the paper as would be sufficient to point out the general nature of the change.

The Puffin is included in Professor Ansted’s list, but marked as occurring only in Guernsey and Sark.  There are two specimens in the Museum; one in the ordinary summer plumage, and one apparently in the winter plumage above described; but it is difficult to be quite certain on the subject, as it has been smeared over with bird-stuffer’s paint, probably with the view of making it as like the ordinary summer plumage as possible.

159.  RAZORBILL. Alca torda, Linnaeus.  French, “Pingouin macroptere.”—­The Razorbill is not by any means numerous in the Channel Islands, but a few breed about Ortack, and, as has been said before, in Alderney, but nowhere else; and they are by no means so numerous as the Guillemot.  It is resident throughout the year, though perhaps more common in the autumn than at any other time.  Mr. Harvey Brown,[30] however, mentions seeing a small flock swim by with the tide, at the north-end of Herm, in January.  Mr. MacCulloch writes me word he has a note of a Razorbill Auk shot in Guernsey on the 14th February, 1847; this, of course, is only a young Razorbill of the previous year, which had not at that time fully developed its bill.

The Razorbill is included in Professor Ansted’s list, but only marked as occurring in Guernsey.  There are two Razorbills in the Museum, one in summer and one in winter plumage.

160.  CORMORANT. Phalacrocorax carbo, Linnaeus.  French, “Grand cormoran.”—­The Cormorant is by no means common in the Islands; I have never seen it about Guernsey, though I have seen one or two near Herm; I do not know that it breeds anywhere in the Islands, except at Burhou, and there only one or two pairs breed.  I was shown the nesting-place just at the opening of a small sort of cavern; there was, however, only the remains of one egg that had been hatched, and probably the young gone off with its parents.  I, however, received an adult bird and a young bird of the year, shot in the harbour at Alderney in August of that year, and those are the only Channel Island specimens of the Cormorant that I have seen.

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Birds of Guernsey (1879) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.