alcid^e—alcinjE: murres and auks. 



1081 



Subfamily ALCIN/E: Murres or Guillemots, and Auks. 



See p. 1062 for characters of this subfamily, which is now restricted to the several species 

 of Murres of the geuus Uria, and two species of Auks proper, representing the two genera 

 Alca and Plautus. All these birds are of the largest size in the family, readily recognized 

 among t)ther Alcida, and the tliree genera are strongly marked. The bill has no deciduous 

 elements, and the head no crests of any sort. The bill in Uria is siinjjly elongate, but is pe- 

 culiarly sulcate and cultrate in Alca and IHautus. Murres and Auks abound in North Atlantic 

 waters, in the same situations as the Puffins, and the two species of Murres are also numerously 

 represented by two subspecies in the North Pacific, where, however, Alca does not occur. The 

 student will observe that the name "guillemot" is common to the species of Uria, of the pres- 

 ent subfamily, and to those of Cepphus, of the subfamily Phaleridince. This is unfortunate, 

 but cannot be helped, and need occasion no c(»nfusi(ni, if it be noted that the species of Cepphus 

 are qualified as black Guillemots. 



U'RIA. (Lat. from Gr. ovpla, ouria, a kind of diving bird.) Murres. Guillemots. 

 Egg-birds. Bill shorter than head, longer than tarsus, straight or slightly decnrved. much 



l>y II. W. Elliott.) 



com])ressed ; culmrn rciruiarly curved tliroughout ; rictus curved in most of its lengtli ; gonys 

 straight, or little curved, nearly as long as culmen ; upper mandible grooved near tip, its com- 

 missural edge greatly iuHectcd. Nasal fosste fully feathered ; nostrils covered. Feathers on 

 lower mandible retreating in straight obli<nie line from interramal space to rictus. Tail short, 

 rounded, with 111 bmad (not pointed) feathers, containctl over .'1 times in length of wintr- Tar- 

 sus compressed, much shorter than middle toe and claw; outer claw not grooved on outer face. 

 A furrow in ]>lumago behind eye. Colors dark above, white bel.>w. Egg single, pictured, 

 pyriform. Lniiirin of all former editions of the Key. 



