LITTLE ROTCHE. 343 



The plumage is dense, blended, soft, on the upper parts 

 glossy. The wings are short, narrow, convex, and pointed, 

 with the first quill longest, the second scarcely a twelfth 

 shorter, the other primaries rapidly decreasing, the secon- 

 daries short and rounded. The tail is very small, nearly 

 even, the lateral feathers being only a twelfth and a half 

 shorter than the medial. 



The bill is black. The iris deep brown. The feet 

 dusky. The throat, lower part of the cheeks, the breast, 

 and abdomen are white. The upper part of the head, in- 

 cluding part of the cheeks, the hind-neck, and all the upper 

 parts, are black ; the back glossed with greenish. There is 

 a white spot on the upper eyelid. The scapulars are 

 streaked with white, and the secondary quills are tipped 

 with the same. The uppermost feathers on the sides under 

 the wings have their inner webs black, and the lower wing- 

 coverts are greyish-brown. 



Length to end of tail 9^ inches ; extent of wings 14|^ ; 

 wing from flexure 4-L| ; tail Ij ; bill along the ridge -^, 

 along the edge of lower mandible 1 ; tarsus yV j inner toe ^^j 

 its claw -^ ; middle toe 1 , its claw -^ ; outer toe \-^, 

 its claw ^. 



Female in Winter. — The female is similar to the male, 

 but smaller. 



Male in Summer. — The bill, iris, and feet as in winter. 

 The whole head and the neck all round are brownish-black ; 

 the upper parts glossy greenish-black ; the lower white. 

 There is a white spot on the upper eyelid, and the scapulars 

 and tips of the secondary quills are white. In short, the 

 colours are the same as in winter ; but the head is tinged 

 with brown, and the throat and fore-neck are black in place 

 of being white. 



Habits. — The habits of this bird have not been minutely 

 described. In summer it is found in very high latitudes, 

 and in winter retires southward, along the coasts of both 

 continents. It is said to be more abundant in the seas of 



