BIRDS OP NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 711 



the distal half of maiicliblc with as many, or more, similar, but more 

 vertical, grooves; nostril entirely concealed beneath lower edge 

 of the dense velvety feathering of lores, which anteriorily forms a 

 nearly straight but faintly concave oblique line across base of max- 

 illa. Wings relatively very small, unfitted for flight. Tail short, 

 graduated, composed of 14 rectrices. 



Plumage and coloration. — Plumage of head short, very dense 

 and velvety, especially on anterior portion. I^[)per parts black, 

 the secondaries tipped with white; under parts immaculate white; 

 m summer, head ajid Jieck dark sooty brown, except a large oval 

 area of white covering greater part of space between biU and eye. 



Range. — Formerly inhabiting coasts and islands of the northern 

 Atlantic Ocean south of the Arctic Circle, but extinct since 1844. 

 (Monotypic,). 



PINGUINUS IMPENNIS (Linnaeus). 



GREAT AUK. 



Adults in summer (sexes alike)." — Chin, throat, foreneck, and sides 

 of head and neck uniform velvety dark snuff brown or soft blackish 

 brown, passing gradually into brownish black on pileum and hind- 

 neck; a large oval patch of white covering greater part of space 

 between bill and eye; upper parts uniform black, the secondaries 

 tipped with white; under parts, including chest, immaculate white, 

 this ending anteriorly in an angle on median portioji of upper chest 

 or lower foreneck; bill black, its grooves whitish; iris dark brown; 

 legs and feet black; wing, about 146; tail, about 76; exposed culmen, 

 80-89; greatest depth of bill, about 38.1; tarsus, 42.16; middle toe 

 with claw, 82.5.* 



Extinct since 1844; formerly occurring on coasts and islands of the 

 northern Atlantic Ocean from southern Greenland, Iceland, and 

 Norway southward to Massachusetts (Ipswich; Nahant; islands in 

 Boston Harbor) and northern portion of British Islands (11 Brit- 

 ish records). 



[^ica] impennis Linn^us, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, i, 1758, 130 (Norwegian seas); ed. 12, 

 i, 1766, 210.— Gmelin, Syst. Nat., i, pt. ii, 1789, 550.— Latham, Index Orn., 

 ii, 1790, 791.— CouES, Key N. Am. Birds, 1872, 339. 



a I have not seen any description of the winter plumage or young of this species, 

 and no specimens of either are available for examination. Judging from analogy 

 in the case of related forms, however, they would probably differ from the summer 

 plumage, as described above, in having the dark brown of the tlu-oat and foreneck 

 (probably portions of the sides of the head also) replaced by white. 



b No sexed specimens are avilable for measurement. The total length of speci- 

 mens examined varies from 736 to 762 mm., and Audubon gives the expanse of wings 

 as 27,25 inchee=641.34 mm. 



