54^ ORNITfiOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 



sented as a well defined aud separate piece ; I may therefore remark ■ 

 that in all my specimens the lower half of this piece is connected with 

 the mental cuirass, aud that they are shed together; it must be re- 

 marked, however, that any violence during the process is apt to break 

 the different i^arts irregularly. As to the subnasal lamellae my material 

 does not indicate any shedding, and as they are colored reddish like 

 the persistent part of the bill, and not greenish as the deciduous pieces, 

 I am inclined to think that they are not shed at all. 



These changes occur during the months of September and October, 

 some individuals commencing as early as the beginning of the former, 

 while others are not yet through at the end of the latter. 



The bird now looks like fig. 2, on pi. i. It will be seen that neither 

 is the anterior part shed, nor dark colored, nor the iris changed to 

 blackish brown, the specimen figured having been obtained on the 

 19th of January. 



In the early part of the next spring the soft parts again become hard 

 and change color, aud as soon as the breeding season is at hand the fully 

 adult bird looks like fig. 1 on pi. i. 



It may be added that the birds take to the open ocean shortly after 

 the shedding commences, remaining far from any land until the vernal 

 transformation is finished. Only severe storms or excessive cold bring 

 them in winter near the shore. 



I observed a few individuals which had four grooves on the anterior 

 part of the maxilla, but out of a hundred birds I found only two or three. 

 These were probably very old birds. 



One specimen, No. 92924, shows trace of corresponding grooves on the 

 lower mandible. 



The '^Toporok" (plur. ^^ToporkV^), together with the '■^Are^'' ( Uria arra)j 

 is the most numerous of the many species of the Alcidce on the islands, aud 

 as both are also the largest in size, they become of eminent importance to 

 the natives as sources of fresh meat. This is especially the case on Cop- 

 per Island, the area of which is more limited, and where the inhabitants 

 have fewer facilities for preserving the meat of the fur-seals slaughtered 

 during the short season of the summer. To them the adults, young, 

 and eggs are most welcome additions to their bill of fare, and, indeed, 

 I myself was very often gratified by a good meal of fried " Toporki," for 

 the meat, although very dark, is by no means distasteful. I remember 

 occasions when I thought 1 had never eaten anything better, when fur- 



