278
THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
[Brunnich's Guillemot: Lomvia bruennichi.
There is not yet sufficient evidence to justify the admission of this
species into the Essex list, but Canon Babington mentions (46. 246)
one in his own Collection, which was " purchased at the sale of the Sud-
bury Museum ; it formed part of a case of twelve ' British Aquatic Birds,
Lot 230 ' ; but although there is considerable reason for presuming that
it was obtained near the mouth of the' Orwell or Stour, whence so
many of the aquatic birds in that Museum came, there is no direct
evidence on the point."]
Black Guillemot: Uria grylle.
A rare winter visitor. I have only one record of its occurrence in
Essex, but it has no doubt been overlooked.
Dr. Bree (32a) notes that a " female in winter plumage was sent to Ambrose
to set up, Dec, 1869 ; shot at Mersea."
Little Auk : Mergulus alle.
An irregular and accidental, though not uncommon, visitant during
winter, when it is not unfrequently blown inland by severe storms as
far as the midland
counties.
Henry Doubleday says
that in 1832 (10) he saw in
a Collection at Colchester a
specimen obtained near
there, and in the same
year he shot another at
Walton-on-the-Naze. W.
H. Hill met with two near
Southminster about 1834
(12. viii. 573). Mr. C.
Walford records (19. 58)
that " about a fortnight
before the severe frost of
last winter (1837-38) set
in, two specimens of the
Little Auk were found in
an exhausted state—one in
a gentleman's garden at
Witham, and the other in
Rivenhall Parish." Yarrell
says (14. iii. 359) that after
a severe storm in Oct., 1841,
he heard of the occurrence

of specimens in Essex and other parts of England,
exhausted state about a mile from Sudbury on Nov.
rence of severe storms. It died during the day (23. 7848). One was shot at
Loughton (34. 1867) in or about 1869. A male was picked up alive at North
Weald on Nov. 11th, 1870 (29. Nov. 26. 70). I have in my possession a specimen
shot by our bailiff at Lindsell Hall, near Dunmow, about the year 1871. It occur-
red during the winter, after a severe storm and is in winter plumage, though a few
dark feathers are appearing on the chest. Another specimen is in possession of