ALCID^ — THE AUKS — SLMORIIYNCHUS. 511 



Yoitng (= Alca pygmcea, Gmel., and Simorhynchiis Cassini, CoUES ; No. 65436, Constantine 

 Harbor, Amchitka Island, Aleutians, July 20, 1873, W. H. Dall): Above, entirely uniform glossy 

 pluiubeous-black, including the whole loral, orbital, and uppei' part of the malar regions ; lower 

 part of auricular region, throat, and chin deep smoky gray, the lower part of the throat with a mixed 

 hoary white and dusky sufl'usion, forming a somewhat triangular transverse patch ; foreneck, jugu- 

 lum, and entire sides, deep uniform slaty plundjeous, gradually lightening on the breast, and 

 changing insensibly to white on the lower part of the abdomen, anal region, and crissum ; lining of 

 the wing deep smoky plumbeous or slate. On each side of the forehead, from the base of the cul- 

 men back to above the eye, a series of indistinct, small, narrow white feathers, and from the same 

 origin another series of similar feathers running obliquely downward across the lores, thence hori- 

 zontally backward on a line with the commissure, about as far as the posterior angle of the eye. 

 A whitish streak behind the eye. Maxilla Ijlack, more brownish below the nostril ; mandilde 

 brownish, paler basally ; " iris white" (Dall); legs and feet brownish in the dried skin. Wing, 

 4.10 inches ; culmen, .40 ; depth of bill at base, .30, width, .25 ; tarsus, .85 ; middle toe, without 

 claw, .90. Another specimen (type of 'SS'. Cassini," CoUES, No. 46564, ^, Ouninak Pass, Aleutians, 

 Aug. 3, 1866 ; W. H. Dall) is similar to the preceding, but has no trace of ornamental filaments 

 about the head, and the whole throat is smoky gray, not distinctly defined against the plumbeous- 

 slate of the foreneck. Wing, 4.25 inches ; culmen, .35 ; depth of bill at base, .25, width, .20 ; 

 tarsus, .85 ; middle toe, .85. Domuj young: Uniform grayish fuliginous, lighter below. 



There can be no question that the Simorhynchus Cassini, Coues, is the young of S. camtscluUicus, 

 Pallas ; and it is eciually certain that the Alca pygmwa, Gjiel., is the same stage of this species. 

 Gmelin's description ^ fits the young plumage (==" Cassini ") in every particular, while it does not 

 answer at all to any other known member of the family. 



There are several fine adults in breeding-plumage of this species in the National Museum col- 

 lection, collected in the Aleutian Islands by Mr. Lucien M. Turner, and in the Commander Islands 

 by Dr. Leonhard Stejneger. Of the immature plumage there are, besides the type of ">S. Cassini,' 

 also many specimens, besides several in the down. Two of the latter, with feathers just appearing 

 beneath the surface of the down on the lateral lower parts, as well as on the wings, scapular region, 

 and fore part of the head, were obtained by Mr. W. H. Dall at Kyska Harbor, Aleutians, July 3, 

 1873. There are also two specimens in the collection from Constantine Harbor, besides the one 

 described above, and one (No. 67399, ^) from Akootan Island, collected Sept. 10, 1874, by Mr. 

 H. W. Elliott. 



We have no notes or information in regard to the habits of this species. It was 

 met with by Mr. Dall on several of the Aleutian Islands. It was originally described 

 by Lepechin as having come from Kamtschatka. 



Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer ("Ibis," 1878, p. 210) state that this bird was 

 obtained from the Kurile Islands (Chigima) in summer by Mr. iST. Fukusi. Mr. H. 

 Whitely procured two specimens off the east coast of Japan (•' Ibis," 18G7, p. 209) ; 

 and iu Commodore Perry's Expedition examples were secured at Simoda and Tokio 

 Bay. 



Genus SIMORHYNCHUS, Merkem. 



Simorhynchus, Merrejf, 1819 (type, Alca cristatclla, V xiA.. fide G. R. Gray). — Coues, Pr. Philad. 



Acad. 1868, p. 34 (part). 

 Tylorumphus, Branlit, Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. II. 1837, 348 (same type). 



Char. Mandibles triangular, the lower nearly as deep as the upper, with the gonys very 

 straight, forming a more or less decided, and sometimes prominent, angle at the l)ase ; in the breed- 

 ing season the base of the bill furnished with several accessory corneous pieces, most conspicuous of 



1 " Rostro nigro, vertice, cervice, dorso, alis, cauda pedibusque obscuris, jugulo et pectore glaucis, 

 abdomine sordidc albo . . . alee minor, 7 poll, loiiga " (Gmelix). 



