ALCID^ — THE AUKS — CERORHYNCHA. 519 



of this species at San Diego, on the shore, after a severe storm, in January, both 

 being dead. These birds are usually to be met with a long distance off the shore, 

 but within sight of land, often rising almost from under the paddle-wheels of the 

 steamers. In May, 1863, he found them very numerous on Santa Barbara Island, 

 where they had undermined almost every part of the soft earthy surface with their 

 burrows. These are about four feet long, horizontal, and run at about the depth of 

 a foot beneath the surface, though often so near it as to be broken in by the weight 

 of a man stepping on them. On examining about a dozen burrows he found in most 

 of them young in every stage of growth, showing that they must have begun about 

 the first of May to deposit their eggs. Where hatching had not taken place there 

 was one egg in each burrow, on which either the male or the female was sitting. 

 These are pure white, and measure 1.70 inches in length by 1.25 in breadth, the ends 

 being very nearly'' of equal size. 



These birds are also found in the Farallones, where, however, they are not very 

 abundant, the rocky soil being unsuited for their burrows, so that their nests can 

 only be made in accidental cavities. Mr. Gruber, however, obtained an egg there in 

 1862, and dead birds are not infrequently to be found, many dying from accidents or 

 from blows inflicted by other and stronger birds. An egg from the Farallones meas- 

 ured 1.78 by 1.30 inches, and was of an unusually oval form. During the day most of 

 the birds go off" far from the islands, and are seen swimming about, occasionally diving 

 for fish, etc., or perhaps asleep the greater part of the time, their most active period 

 being the earlier part of the night. At that time they fly to their burrows ; and 

 though so very short-winged, when fairly started go like bullets, often killing them- 

 selves by flying against the ground ; and if there is a camp-fire on the island, many 

 fly directly into it, being dazzled and perplexed by its light. The male birds, alight- 

 ing near their burrows, make the night melodious with their cries, being really musical 

 for a sea-bird, and reminding one of the AVhip-poor-will. As nearly as this cry can 

 be expressed in words, it is tvhit-cheer, whit-cheer, etc., repeated about five times, faint 

 at first, gradually dying, and then falling with a peculiar ringing sound. To some 

 ears the cry sounds like too-near ; and this name has been given to the bird by the 

 sealers. 



Dr. Cooper found the birds of this species most abundant during the day about 

 San Nicolas Island, where the shoal waters furnish them with excellent feeding, and 

 whence they probably fly every night to Santa Barbara Island — a distance of about 

 thirty miles. Three eggs in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution range from 

 1.80 to 1.95 inches in length, and from 1.25 to 1.30 in breadth. They are of oblong- 

 oval shape, and of a pure chalky white color. 



Genus CERORHYNCHA, Bonaparte. 



CcrorJmica, BoxAr. Anti. Lye. N. Y. 1S28, 427 (type, C. occidentalis, Bp., = Alca monoceraia, Pall.). 



Ccratorhynclius, SuNDEV. Orn. Syst. 1836,130. 



Ccratorhyncha, Bonap. Comp. List, 1838, 66. — Coues, Pr. Philad. Ac. 1868, 28. 



Cerorhina, Brandt, BulL Sc. St. Petersh. IL 1837, 348. — Cass, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 904. 



Ceratorrhina, Boxap. Oss. Eeg. An. 1830, 134 ; Saggio, 1831, 62. 



Ccratorhina, AuD. Orn. Biog. V. 1839, 104. 



Chimerina, Eschscholtz, ZooL Atl. 1829, 2 (type, C. cornuta, EscHS., = Alca monocerata, Pall.). 



Char. Culmen regularly and decidedly convex ; gonys straight, or slightly concave, with an 

 accessory corneous piece at the base, interposed longitudinally between the rami of the mandible 

 from their symphesis back to the feathers of the chin ; this deciduous, however, and, like the 



