ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 33 



1769. — AIca letracuku Pall. Spicil. Zool. V, p. 5J3, pi. iv, ot. pi. v, figs. 10, 11, 12. — 



KiTTL., Deukw., II, p. 214 (1858).— Cria t. Pall., Zoogr. Ross. As., II, p. 



T.i.—PhaJeris t. Middend., Sibir. Rcis., II, 2 (p. 2:59) (18r)3).— SwiNii., P. 

 Z. S., 1863, p. 331.— Dall &BANNIST., Tr. Chicag, Acad., I, 1869, p.309.- 



Taczan., Orn. Faun. Vost. Sibir., p. 74 (1877). — /rf.,Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 



1877, p. 52. 

 1776. — Alca cristata MiJLL., Syst. Nat. Suppl., p. 104. 

 1826.— ZJria duUa Pall., Zoogr. Ross. As., II, p. 371.— JZca d. Kittl. Denkw., I, p. 300 



(18i38). 

 1829.— Phaler is super ciliai a AuDUB.,Orn. Biogr., IV (pi. 402). 

 1878. — Phaleris inystacea Blakist. «fc PryeR, Ibis, 1878, p, 210 {part).SEEB., Ibis, 



1879, p. 21. 



The clianges of plumage of tbis species are identical with those of 

 iSimorhynchus pygmceus^ aud as the latter have been described with con- 

 siderable detail, I shall content myself by referring to my remarks 

 under the heading of that species. 



I may, however, call attention to a feature of the nuptial plumage of 

 the present species, which has not been noticed by previous authors, so 

 far as I am aware. I refer to the numerous and exceedingly fine hair- 

 like white plumes which are interspersed with the others on the crown 

 and nape. They are particularly noticeable and numerous on a 9 , 

 shot May IG (No. 89096). In a 5 , collected June 4 (No. 92955), they 

 are greatly reduced, and in all probability they are only present during 

 a very short period. 



During the breeding season the bill of this species differs greatly from 

 that of aS'. jjygnucus, though in winter they are very much alike. The 

 sides of the mandible, of the maxilla, and the nasal cuirass are swollen, 

 aud the different pieces separated by deep grooves, and at the base of 

 the maxillar tomium is developed a more or less irregularly rounded 

 horny and hard piece, which has a superficial resemblance to the "rosette" 

 of the genera Lunda and Fratercula, without in any way being homol- 

 ogous with the latter structure. The " rosette " is more or less soft, 

 being a kind of wattle lining the angle of the mouth all round, both 

 above and beneath ; the tomial plate of S. cristatellus is hard, horny, 

 and is only affixed to the upper edge of the basal part of the tomium. 

 It is only fixed to the edge of the commissure along its lower border, 

 the upper half being entirely free and concealing the feathers behind it. 

 These different basal pieces are evidently regularly shed, as in the Fra- 

 tercuiece, and at the same time. Of all the rich material at my disposal, 

 no specimen was taken during the more advanced stage of this shedding, 

 so it is impossible to say just how many pieces fall oft' separately. So 

 much is certiiin, however, that the above-mentioned circular corner- 

 158G1 Bull. 29 3 



