ON THE STATUS OF SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS "WTTMIZUSUME AS A 

 NORTH AMERICAN BIRD. 



By I.EONI1ARD STEJNEOGR. 



The claim of SyntJiUboramphns tcumizusume to be regarded a North 

 American bird rests solely on the three specimens enumerated by Mr. 

 Cassin in Baird's " Birds of North America," p. 917, and since Cooper 

 and Suckley, in 1860 (Rep. Expl. Surv. R. R. Pacif., Vol. XII, Book 

 II, part iii, p. 287), reported this species " quite common during the 

 late fall and winter months on Puget Sound," and residing, "during 

 winter, in the sound and bays of the Territory [Washington] in large 

 numbers, though not gregarious," no trustworthy collector has met with 

 Temminck's Murrelet in American waters, that I am aware of. 



One of the specimens referred to above, a fragment received from the 

 late Mr. J. Gould as coming from the " northwest coast of America," 

 seems to be no longer in existence. The other two I have examined 

 carefully, with the result that I find them to be nothing else than 

 winter specimens of the common Starik, or "Ancient Murrelet" {Synth- 

 liboramphus antiquus). This is especially true of No. 5987, collected by 

 Dr. J. G. Cooper at Fort Gamble, W. T., which in every respect, color 

 and dimensions, closely agrees with typical S. antiquus. Equally typi- 

 cal is another specimen in the collection of the National Museum, No. 

 68351, from a much more southern locality, collected, as it was, by Prof. 

 W. H. Dall, " off Monterey Bay, Cal.," January 24, 1874. No. 9911, col- 

 lected by Dr. Cooper at Shoalwater Bay, W. T., has the bill slightly 

 longer (about 1^""°) than the other specimens, and the middle toe a lit- 

 tle shorter (about 1^""") than usual ; but otherwise it does not differ, and 

 the shape of the bill is that of S. antiquus, being very compressed 

 anteriorly. 



Until authenticated and undoubted American specimens are found, it 

 may be expedient to remove Synthliboramphus wumizusume to the " Hy- 

 pothetical List" (A. O. U. Check L., p. 347). It is a case in many re- 

 spects completely parallel to that of Cepphus carbo. 



Smithsonian Institution, October 9, 1886. 



Since the above was written, I have examined a specimen in the col- 

 lection of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, labeled S. wumizusume. 

 It was collected in Alaska, and presented by Professor George Davidson. 

 It is undoubtedly a S. antiquus. 



November 16, 1886. 



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