760 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Alca umizusume (not Uria luumizusume Temminck) Rickett, Ibis, 1894, 225 



(Foochow, China); 1895, 168 (correction). 

 Alle alle (not Alca alle Linnseus) Ames, Auk, xix, 1902, 94 (near Toronto, Ontario, 



Nov. 18, 190] ).« — Wheeler, Bird Lore, xi, 1909, 174 (Canadi<tn shore Lake 



Erie, near Buffalo, New York, Nov. 15, 1908) .« 



Genus PTYCHORAMPHUS Brandt. 



Ptychoramphus Brandt, BuU. Sci. Acad. Imp. St.-Petersb., ii, 1837, 346. (Type, 



by monotypy, Uria aleutica Pallas.) 

 Ptychorhamphus (emendation) Brandt, Isis, 1837, 502. 



Small Plialerinse (wing about 110-130 mm.) with subconical de- 

 pressed bill, very long gonys (as long as or longer than distance from 

 nostril to tip of maxilla), wholly unfeathered nasal fossae, and very 

 plain coloration, without any ornamental plumes on head in breeding 

 season. 



Bill subconical, depressed at base, its depth at base of exposed 

 culmen equal to less than half the length of exposed culmen and not 

 greater than its width at same point, and slightly less than its depth 

 at gonydeal angle ; culmen depressed basally, then gently convex to 

 the tip ; gonys as long as or longer than distance from nostril to tip 

 of maxilla, straight or very faintly convex, ascending termmally, 

 its basal angle prominent; maxillary tomium nearly straight for most 

 of its length, but distinctly convex beneath nostril, distinctly notched 

 sub terminally; mandibular tomium nearly straight, slightly toothed 

 and notched subterminally, the tip of mandible acute and very 

 slightly recurved; side of mandible ridged along upper portion, 

 the ridge broad in middle portion, where the lower edge forms 

 an angle below anterior end of nasal fossa; nasal fossa broad, wholly 

 unfeathered, the longitudinal slit-like nostrils in lower edge and 

 overhung by a broad, semicorneous convex (in vertical view) oper- 

 culum; mandibular rami (measured from gonydeal angle to rictus) 

 with about anterior third unfeathered, the malar antia forming a 

 rather distinct median angle ; anterior edge of loral feathering forming 

 a slight convex line from base of culmen to rictus; mental antia broad, 

 about on same vertical line with posterior end of nostrils. Wing mod- 

 erate, the longest primary (outermost) exceeding distal secondaries by 

 less than half the length of wing. Tail about one-fourth as long as 

 wing, slightly rounded; rcctrices 14. Tarsus shorter than middle toe 

 without claw (but longer than bill from rictus), the acrotarsium reticu- 

 late; outer toe (without claw) as long as middle toe (without claw), 

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



Plumage and coloration. — No ornamental plumes in breeding season. 

 Upper parts plain blackish slate, the head and neck (except pileum) 

 more grayish, the sides and flanks slate-grayish; rest of under parts 

 immaculate white. 



a According to Fleming, Auk, xxix, 1912, 387. 



