718 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Large Alcinae (wing 182-230 mm.) with the narrow and pointed 

 bill much longer than tarsus, without transverse grooves, the culmen 

 nearly straight basally, gently curved distally; loral antia forming a 

 distinct angle about midway between culmen and tomium or nearer 

 to the former than to the latter, and tail slighth' rounded, with rec- 

 trices not pointed. 



Bill much longer than tarsus, elongate-subconical, moderately com- 

 pressed, without grooves; culmen nearly straight basally, gradualy 

 decurved terminally, or gently curved from near base the curvature 

 increasing distally, sometimes ascending or more or less elevated at 

 extreme base; gonys long (but shorter than distance from nostril to 

 tip of maxilla), more or less prominent basally, faintly concave 

 sub-basally; maxillary tomium faintly convex near middle portion, 

 faintly concave distally, distinctly notched subterminally; mandibular 

 tomium nearly straight for basal half or more, slightly decurved dis- 

 tally; mandibular rami covered for most of its extent with short, 

 dense, velvety feathering, only the anterior portion and a narrow strip 

 along upper (tomial) edge unfeathered, the anterior outline of the 

 feathering forming an oblique doubly curved line (concave below, 

 convex above) from the mental antia to near the tomial edge; whole 

 loral region, including nasal fossae, clothed with similar dense, short, 

 velvety feathering, this forming a prominent angle or antia between 

 nostril and culmen (its apex decidedly anterior to anterior end of 

 nostril), the longitudinally elliptical or narrowly oval nostrils overhung 

 (except anteriorly) by the lower edge of this feathering. Wing- mod- 

 erate, the longest primary (outermost or two outermost) exceeding 

 distal secondaries by more than half the length of wing. Tail about 

 one-fourth as long as wing, slightly rounded, the rectri-ces 12 in num- 

 ber, not pointed. Tarsus sometimes longer, sometimes shorter, than 

 exposed culmen,** the acrotarsium transversely scutellate, but scuteUa 

 broken, more or less, on inner side of upper portion; middle toe, with- 

 out claw, much longer than tarsus; outer toe (without claw) as long 

 as middle toe, the inner as long as first two phalanges of middle toe. 



Plumage and coloration. — Feathering of head (especially the ante- 

 rior portion) very dense, soft, and velvety; a narrow crease or furrow 

 from posterior angle of eye to side of nape, following upper margin 

 of auricular region. Upper parts plain grayish brown or dusky, 

 the secondaries narrowly but sharply tipped with white; imder parts 

 immaculate white, the outer portion of sides and flanks streaked 

 with grayish brown. In breeding plumage, sides of head and neck, 

 chin, throat, and foreneck uniform velvety brown; in winter, chin, 

 throat, foreneck, and sides of head and neck white, broken by a 



" Owing to extensive feathering of basal portion of maxilla, the exposed culmen 

 is considerably shorter than the actual length of Ihe bill. 



