534 



WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



Tongue thick and entire. Capistrum advancing but little on the 

 base of the bill. Feet placed very far back; the tibia almost en- 

 tirely retracted into the belly ; tarsus slender, compressed, carinated 

 on both sides ; toes long and slender, middle toe longest ; webs full 

 and entire; nails incurved, acute. Wings short, acute, 1st primary 

 longest. Tail of 14 feathers, the middle and outer being shortest. 



The sexes alike in plumage ; but the young differ from the adult. 

 They moult twice in the year, but undergo little or no change of 

 color. 



These birds reside throughout the year in the hyperboreal regions, 

 and only migrate to short distances in the severity of the winter. 

 They congregate in flocks, living generally out at sea, swimming 

 about among the ice with ease and dexterity, but retiring usually at 

 night to the clefts of the neighbouring rocks, or into burrows which 

 they dig with the aid of their bill and feet. In these holes and bur- 

 rows, without any preparation, they deposit their only egg; and at 

 such times probably, are so much infatuated by the duties of incu- 

 bation as to allow themselves to be easily killed or taken by hand. 

 Like the preceding, they feed on marine productions exclusively, 

 such as Crustacea, mollusca, and other small animals of the sea. 



These inhabit the Arctic seas between Asia and America. The 

 genus is composed of about 3 species. 



PARROaUET AUK. 



(Phaleris psiitacula, Temm. Bonap. Synops. No. 376. ^Ica psitta- 



cula, Pallas, Spicil. Zool. fasc. v. p. 15. tab. 2. [adult]. Lath. 



Ind. sp. 8. Jl. tetracula, Pallas, sp. Zool. fasc. v. p. 23. t. 4. 



[young]. Perroquet, and Dusky Auk, Lath. Synops. v. t. 



95. fig. 2 and 3, the head. Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 433 and 



435.) 

 Sp. Charact. — Black ; belly white ; a line behind the eyes, and a 



spot above, white ; ridge of the bill compressed. — Adult with the 



bill red. In the young the bill is yellowish-dusky. 



These sinorular birds inhabit the coast of Kamtschatka, 

 the Kuriles and other islands towards Japan as well as con- 

 tiguous to America, and the western shores of this conti- 



