206 ALASKA. 



feeds at sea, flying' out every Daoriiing, returning in the after- 

 noon to its nest and mate." 



The egg of Plialeris psittacula is about as large as a small 

 hen's egg, which it resembles, although averaging more elon- 

 gate. The shape, however, is extremely variable; thus, one 

 measures 2.25 by I.jO, and another 2.35 by only 1.45, the latter 

 being remarkably narrow, elongate, and pointed. The shell is 

 minutely granular, and rough to the touch. It is white, un- 

 marked, but often found variously soiled and discolored, some- 

 times by mechanical eftect, and sometimes by fluids of the 

 oviduct or cloaca. Mr. Elliott says, " So effectually do these 

 birds secrete their eggs in the deep recesses of cliff crevices and 

 chinks that I was unable to obtain more than four perfect speci- 

 mens, although several hundred ' baillie brushkies' were breed- 

 ing on the cliffs, each pair marked by myself, (in daily observa- 

 tion,) close by the village, at Saint George's Island, during the 

 summer of 1873. Nothing, save blasting-powder, or similar 

 agency, can open the basaltic crevices in which the bird hides, 

 and, of course, resort to this action would also destroy tlie egg^ 



622. Saznorliyaicliiis crestatelUis, (Pall.) 'Merr.— Crested Aitk. 



" Cauooskie." 

 Aica cristateUa, Pall. Spic. Zool. fasc. v, 00, pi. 3, pi. 5, figs. 7, 



8,9,(1769.) 

 Uria cristateUa, Pall. Zoog. Eosso.-As., ii, 370, (1611.) (Excl. 



syu. Alca comtsc7irt//cft, Lepech.) 

 Simorliynchust crisateUus, Merrem. — Schl. M. P. B., ix, 25, 



(1S87.)— CouES. Proc. Pliila. Acad., (1868.)— Coues. Key N. 



A. Birds, 342, figs. 223, 224, (1872.) 

 Simorhynchus {Tylorliamphus) cristatellus, Brandt. Bull. Sc. 



Acad. St. Petersb., vii, 223, (1869.) 

 Tylorhamplius cristatellus, Brandt. Oj). cit., ii, 348, (18.37.) 

 Phaleris cristatellus, Steph. Shaw's Gen. Zool., xiii, 47, pi. 5, 



(1825.) (Nee Temm.) — Schrengk. Eeise Amur-Laud, i, vt. 



ii, 500, pi. 16, figs. 4, 5. 

 Phaleris {Simorhynchus) cristatellus, Cass. B. X. A., 903, (1858.) 

 Uria duhia, Pall. Zoog. 11. A., ii, 371, (1811.)— (^fis ptil. hijem. 



vestita, sec. Brandt.) 

 Phaleris duhia, Brandt. Bull. Sc. Acad. St. Petersb., ii, 347, 



(1837.) 

 Tylorhamphus duhius, Bonap. Comptes Reudus, xlii, 774, (1856.) 

 Simorhynchus duhius, Coues. Proc. Pliila. Acad., (1868.) 

 Alca tetracul a, Vaj^i.. Spic. Zool. fasc, v, 23, pi. 4, (1769,) (Junior.) 

 Uria tctracula, Pall. Zoog. E. A., ii, 371, (1811.) 

 Phaleris tetracula, Step. GeuH. Zool., xiii, 46, (1825.)— Brandt. 



Bull. Sc. Acad. St. Petersb., ii, 347, (1837.) 



