918 U. S. p. R. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Above cinereous, unduluteil, and somewhat spotted with blackisli and pale yellowish brown. Beneath white, faintly tinged 

 with brownish, and undulated on the breast with black ; wings ashy and brownish black. Bill very short, about one-third llie 

 ■ength of the head ; tarsus shorter than the middle toe. Length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, 9 inches. Inhabits 

 Kanitschatka, 



MERGULUS, Ray. 



Mergulus, Rat, Synopsis Avium, 1713, 195. 



Ch. — Small; general form short and heavy, head rather large. Bill short, thick ; upper mandible curved, slightly lobed on ilg 

 edge ; membrane of the rounded nostril large ; wings moderate or rather short, pointed ; first quill longest ; tail short ; feet 

 rather short. 



MERGULUS ALLE, Linnaeus. 



The Iiittle Auk ; The Sea Dove ; Dovekie. 



Jllca alle, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 17GG, 211. 



Mergulus alle, Vieillot, " Anal, l>-16."- Ie. Galerie, II, 1825, 237.— Ann. Syn. 347. 



Uria ai(e,TEMMiNCK, Man. II, 928.— Bon. Obs. VVils. 1826, No. 23S.— Add. Orn. Ror. IV, 1838, 304 ; pi. 33i). 



Mergxdus mclanoleucus, Rat, Syn. Av. p. 125. 



^Ica Candida, Bni^NN. Orn. Bor. 1764, 26. 



Mca alee, Gmelin, Syst. Nat I, 1788, 354. 



FiGDRES. — Edwards, Birds, II, pi. 91 — Boffon, PI. Enl. 917. — Vieillot, Gal. II, pi. 295.— Wilson, Am. Orn. IX, pi. 74, 

 f5g. 5.— AuD. B. of Am. pi. 339, oct. ed. VII, pi. 4G'J.— Godld, B. of Eur. IV, pi. 403.- Naumann, B. of Germ. pi. 334. 



Sp. Ch. — Small; head, breast, and entire up|ier parts brownish black, inclining to fuliginous on the head and breast; under 

 parts from the breast white. A narrow line of white over the eye ; secondaries tipped with white ; scapulars edged with white ; 

 under wing coverts dark asliy ; llanks with longitudinal stripes of brownish black ; bill black ; feet pale reddish ; webs of toes 

 dark. Winter plumage and young with the throat (and other under parts) white, extending somewhat on the sides of the neck. 



Total length about Ik inches ; wing, 4j ; tail, 1^ inch. 



Hnh. — Northeastern coast of America ; northern Europe; New Jersey, (Mus. Acad. Philad.;) Nova Scotia, (Nat. Mus. 

 Washington ) 



One of the most abundant of the sea birds of northern America and Europe, straying south 

 in the winter occasionally to the coastf* of the Middle States. We have never seen it from the 

 northern Pacific, though it appears to be an inhabitant of the entire Arctic circle. 



List of specimens. 



Locality. Whence obtained. 



Halifax, N. S ; J. K. Willis 



Nature of specimen 



Mounted , 



