BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 749 



Uria lownsendi Audubon, Birds Am., fol. ed., 1838, pi. 430; Orn. Biog., v, 1839, 

 251 (near mouth Columbia River). — Townsend (J. K.), Narrative, 1839, 

 352. 



Una townsendii Audubon, Synopsis, 1839, 351; Birds Am., 8vo. ed., \ii, 1844, 

 278, pi. 475. 



BRACHYRAMPHUS BREVIROSTRIS (Vigors). 



KITTLITZ'S MURRELET. 



Adults in hreediiig plumage (sexes alike). — Predominant color of 

 upper parts dusky (varjaug from nearly black to nearly dark gull 

 gray according to angle of view), the surface glossy and this dusky 

 color broken everywhere (except on wings and tail) by irregular 

 streaks or longitudinal spots of light buff, these broadest on scapulars, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts, the nape with buff predominating; 

 wings grayish dusky, the middle and greater coverts and secondaries 

 jiarrowly margined terminally with pale gray or grayish white (the 

 distal coverts also narrowly edged with the same), the inner webs of 

 secondaries broadly tipped with white; middle rectrices, narrowly 

 tipped with white, the outermost rectrix white with a dusky shaft- 

 streak on distal portion, the next two (on each side) similar but with 

 the dusky distal streak broader, the fourth (from outside) with 

 inner web white, the fifth and sixth with inner web mostly white; 

 loral, suborbital, auricular, and malar regions, chin, throat, and 

 upper foreneck light buff, narrowly and sparsely streaked with 

 blackish; rest of under parts white, the lower foreneck, upper chest, 

 and sides of lower neck, thickly marked with U-shaped bars of 

 blackish, the sides and flanks similarly but more irregularly marked 

 (the markings on outer portion assuming the form of irregular spots), 

 the lower chest, breast, and abdomen with much fewer and narrower 

 irrcgidar bars of dusky, the anal region and under tail-coverts nearly 

 immaculate; axillars and under wing-coverts uniform deep brownish 

 gray (nearly hair brown); bill, black; iris, dark brown; legs and feet, 

 pale brownish in dried skins, the webs, dusky. 



Winter plumage. — Pileum, crescontic bar immediatcl}' in front of 

 eye, a ])road bar across sides of upper chest (the two of opposite 

 sides nearly meeting in front), and upper parts generally, deep slate- 

 gray, with a silky gloss, the feathers of back and rump narrowly 

 tipped with white, many of them showing a darker slate color 

 beneath surface; scapulars mostly white, with slate-gray predominat- 

 ing on outer webs; entire under parts, and all of head and neck, 

 except as described (including a collar across nape), immaculate 

 white; wings and tail as in summer. 



Adult maZe.— Wing, 129-141 (135); tail, 31.5-34 (32.7); exposed 

 culmen, 9.5-10.5 (10); tarsus, 15.5-16.5 (16); middle toe, 21.5-24 

 (22.7).« 



o Two specimens, from Alaska. 



