:512 



URIA. GUILLEMOT. 



The genera of this family arc so closely allied to each 

 other, that descriptive characters, such as are given in this 

 work, must in many particulars be nearly the same in all. 

 In the jjresent group, the body is full, ovate, and rather 

 depressed ; the neck short and thick ; the head large, ovate, 

 anteriorly narrowed. 



Bill of moderate length, stout, nearly straight, compressed, 

 tapering, acute ; upper mandible with the nasal sinus broad 

 and feathered, the dorsal line straight, becoming arcuato- 

 decurvate toward the end, the ridge narrow but obtuse, the 

 sides rapidly sloped, the edges sharp and inflected, with slight 

 notches close to the small, bluntish tip ; lower mandible with 

 the angle rather long and narrow, the dorsal line ascending, 

 and straight or slightly concave, the back very narrow, with 

 a groove at the base, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip 

 very acute. 



Mouth rather wide ; anterior palate flat, with five promi- 

 nent lines. Tongue slender, trigonal, tapering, pointed, 

 thin -edged at the end. (Esophagus wide, much dilated 

 below ; stomach moderately muscular, with a dense plicate 

 e})ithelium ; intestine long and rather Avide, with moderate 

 co'ca. 



Nostrils sub-basal, longitudinal, linear. Eyes rather 

 small. Aperture of ear very small. Legs short, placed far 

 behind ; tibia bare for a short space ; tarsus stout, compressed, 

 scutellate ; no hind toe ; anterior toes webbed, the inner 

 much shorter than the outer, which is nearly as long as the 

 middle toe ; claws rather small, or moderate, arched, com- 

 pressed, rather acute. 



Plumage dense, blended, firm but soit, on the head and 

 throat velvety. AVings rather small, narrow, acute ; primary 



