AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS 15 



Distribution. — Coasts and islands of the north Pacific from Bering 

 Strait south to AVashington and Japan. Recorded from Puget Sound, 

 Auk, X. 17. 



GENUS SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS. 



21. Synthliboramphus antiquus (G/h^/.). Ancient Mukrelp:t. 



Bill small and short, uostrils exposed ; front of tarsus covered with 

 tra«sverse scutelhe. Breeding plumage : head and neck black, with large 

 white patch on side of neck, a wide stripe of wliite filaments along back 

 edge of crown, and scattered white filaments over back of neck ; back 

 slaty ; sides black ; under parts white. Winter plumage : throat white ; 

 head and back without wliite filaments ; sides grav. Length : 9.50-10.80, 

 wing 5.25-5.r;0, bill .00. 



Distribution. — Coasts and islands of the noi-th Pacific ; south to Monte- 

 rey Bay. 



Nest. — As described by Littlejohn, often an abandoned burrow of Cassin 

 auklet, a crevice under a rock, or a burrow under a tussock of rank grass, 

 lined with dry grass ; but sometimes bare rocks, sand, or wet ground. 

 J^ggs : 2, deep buff, with small longitudinal markings of light brown and 

 lavender gray. 



Aucieut miirrelets visit California iu winter in considerable num- 

 bers, and ]\Ir. Loomis has found them near the Seaside Laboratory 

 close to the surf in the little coves. He describes them as ' ' great 

 divers and swimmers under water, and voracious in their pursuit of 

 small fr3^ occasionally driving the fish to the surface in the eager- 

 ness of the chase." 



Mr. Littlejohn, Avho visited their breeding grounds on the Alaskan 

 islands, says that on some of the favorite islands the entire surface 

 was literally alive witli murrclets, auklets, and petrels. 



GENUS BRACHYRAMPHUS. 



General Characters. — Bill small and slender ; colors plain ; head not 

 crested. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Tar.sus shorter than middle toe to claw . . . marmoratus. p. l."). 

 1'. Tarsus as long as, or longer than, middle toe to claw. 



hypoleucus. p. 1<». 



23. Brachyramphus marmoratus {GnuL). Makhlkd Mi k- 



KELET. 



Breeding Plumage. — Upper j)arts dusky, back and sides barred with deep 

 rusty brown ; under parts white, mottled with sooty brown. Winter plum- 

 age: ui)per parts slaty, with white 

 l)an(l on back of n«'ck ; s(a])nl;irs 

 mixed with wliite : feathfi-s of back 

 tipped with jilumbeous; Haidxswith 

 dark gr;iy stripes. Young: upjx-r Fiij. ;;(!. 



parts dusky, collar and scapular sj)ot.s indistinct ; nnder part.s white mot- 

 tled, or speckled with sooty. Length : '.(.50-10.00, wing "), bill .tiO-.7(). 



Distribution. — Pacific coast from southern California to western Alaska. 



