STREPSILID.E — THE SURF BIRD — APHRIZA. 127 



Hab. Pacific coast of America, from Alaska to Chili ; Saiulwich Islauds. 



Sp. Char. Bill about as long as the bead, rather thick at the base, and shallowest about one 

 third of the distance from the end ; nostrils large, situated in a very distinct longitudinal groove, 

 which occupies the middle two thirds of the bill ; wings long ; tail rather long, eniarginate ; legs 

 stout. Adult in summer: Head, neck, and dorsal region spotted and streaked with dusky and 

 whitish ; the latter predominating on head, neck, and breast, where the darker markings are in the 

 form of irregular streaks, but on the breast becoming irregular, broad, crescentic bars ; scapulars 

 with large, irregular spots of rufous. Upper tail-coverts, basal half of tail, a broad band across 





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ends of greater wing-coverts, edges of outer webs of secondaries, tips of primary-coverts (broadly) 

 bases, shafts, and tips (narrowly) of primaries, tip of tail, and lower parts from the breast, back 

 (including most of under-side of wing), pure white ; sides and crissum with angular spots of dusky. 

 " Bill duskjr toward the end, orange at the base ; feet bluish green, claws black " (Audubon). 

 JFinter jylumage : Head, neck, and breast, and most of upper parts, plain dusky or brownish slate ; 

 white areas as in the summer plumage. '• Iris black ; eyelids black ; legs olive-green ; claws 

 black" (Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, 15). Young : Much like the winter plumage, but with indistinct 

 white borders to feathers of the uj^per parts, and the breast, throat, etc., white, with dusky streaks, 

 instead of plain dusky. Differing from the summer plumage in the absence of rufous on upper 

 parts, and in the white margins to wing-coverts. 



Wing, about 7.00 ; culmen, .95-1.00 ; tarsus, 1.20; middle toe, .90. 



Very little is known in regard to the habits or the distribution of this species. It 

 is found on the Sandwich Islands and others of the Pacific Ocean, but is rare on our 

 western coast. A single specimen — a female — was obtained at Cape Disappoint- 

 ment, near the mouth of the Columbia, by Mr. Townsend. He states, in regard to 

 it, that it was sitting on the edge of the steep rocks, the heavy surf frequently dash- 

 ing its spray over it as it foraged among the retreating waves. It flew with a quick 

 jerking motion of its wings, and alighted again at a short distance. The stomach 

 was strong and muscular, and contained fragments of a small black shell-fish which 

 is found adhering to the rocks in that neighborhood. 



Dr. Cooper regards this species as a rather rare visitor to our Pacific coast, though 

 he has seen birds which he supposed to be of this species at the mouth of the Columbia 

 and on Santa Barbara Island ; but they were so wild, he could not get a shot at them. 

 Dr. Heermann obtained a specimen of this bird in the San Francisco market in the 

 winter of 1849, and thinks that he met with others of this species the following 

 June on the Farallon Islands, where they were gathered in small flocks, engaged in 

 picking up marine insects from the rock-bound shores, which were covered with kelp 

 and shell-fish. They did not appear Avild. Dr. Cooper did not notice any of them on 

 the Farallon Islands in June, 1864, but did see some of the StrepsUas melanocephalus, 

 which resembles this species, and may have been mistaken for it by Dr. Heermann. 



