NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 23 



quent editions of the " System." Though so long known, it has few synonyms 

 beyond those resulting from its reference to divers genera. Alca " deleta " 

 Briinnich, is the young bird. So also, beyond a doubt, is the Alca " labra- 

 dorica " of Gmelin, which has been so differently interpreted by various 

 authors. Bonaparte even says it is certainly his Sagmatorrhina Lalhami, though 

 he does not adopt the name labradora, as it would imply a geographical error. 

 Mr. Cassin, however, uses it in connection with the Sagmatorrhina. It is based 

 upon the " Labrador Auk " of Pennant. The diagnosis of this author, and 

 that given by Gmelin and Latham, are reprinted above, for facility of reference. 

 If the reader will take the trouble to study these three descriptions, he will 

 not be likely to regard them as diagnoses of Sagmatorrhina Lathawi. 



This species is the type of Moehring's genus Spheniscus ; and a person ad- 

 dicted to iconoclasm in the matter of nomenclature might cut a fine dash on 

 the strength of this fact. 



Fratercula glacialis, Leach. 

 Mormon glacialis, "Leach," Naumann, Isis, 1821, p. 782, pi. T, fig. 2. Not of 



Audubon and Gould, who figure and describe corniculala. Newton, Ibis, 



1865, p. 212. Malmgren, Cab. Journ. f. Ornith. xiii, 1865, p. 394; critical 



discussion of relationships to arctica. 

 ? Mormon glacialis, Bonaparte, Synopsis B. U. S. 1828, p. 429. Probably only 



arcticus. Boardman, Pr. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. Sept. 1862, p. 132 ; and Ver- 



rill, Proc. Essex Inst, iii, 1864, p. 160. Grand Menan, Bay of Fundy. 



These two authors rely for the locality upon Audubon's authority, very 



questionable in this instance. 

 Fratercula glacialis, Leach, Stephen's Cont. Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiii, 1825, p. 40, 



pi. 4, fig. 2. Gray, Genera Birds, iii, 1849, p. 637. 

 Mormon [Fratercula) glacialis, Bonaparte, Tab. Comparatif Pelagiens, Comptes 



Rendus, xiii, 1856, p. 774. Cassin, Baird's B. N. A. 1858, p. 903. 

 Lunda arctica, Schlegel, Urinatores Mus. Pays-Bas, ix. livr. 1867, p. 28, in part ; 



" Specimina aliquantulum majora ex insula Spitzbergen." 



Coasts of the North Atlantic; but a more boreal species than F. arcticus; 

 Arctic Ocean. Spitzbergen. Near Port Foulke, Greenland, (Mus. Smiths. Inst.), 

 " Europe," Greenland, (Mus. Acad. Philada.) Not authenticated as occurring 

 on the coast of Maine. 



(No. 24,302, Mus. Smiths., near Port Foulke, Greenland, Aug., 1861 ; adult ; 

 Dr. I. I. Hayes.) With the colors, and much the general aspect of F. arcticus. 

 Larger than that species. Protuberance on upper eyelid more decidedly aci- 

 cular; in fact intermediate in size and pointedness between that oi F. arctica 

 and F. corniculata. Bill much larger, comparatively and absolutely, than that 

 of arctica, and differently shaped ; its colors about the same. Bill very deep 

 at the base, the basal ridge rising high on the forehead; culmen much arched, 

 towards the end dropping nearly perpendicularly downwards, so great is its 

 convexity. Upper mandible with four decided grooves ; the lower with three, 

 being one more on each than is usual in arctica. Gonj's more convex in out- 

 line, yet not produced posteriorly into so acute a hamular process. Length 

 14-50: extent about 26-00; wing 7-25 ; tail 2-25; tarsus 1-20; middle toe 

 and claw 1-90, outer do. 1-90, inner do. 1-45; bill: chord of culmen 2-40, its 

 convexity 2-60, ordinate of the curve -45; depth of bill at base 1-70, length 

 along rictus 1-50, along gonys 1-60; greatest width of bill -65; length of nasal 

 aperture -40. 



The developement of the bill, changes of plumage, and individual variations 

 of this species are doubtless identical with those of arctica. Young birds of 

 the two species might not be satisfactorily distinguishable. 



Though this species is so very near arctica it is probable that the majority 

 of authors would accord to it specific rank. It is apparently larger in all its 

 parts ; the callosity on the upper eye-lid tends in shape towards that of corni- 

 culata ; the bill is not only much larger every way than that of arctica, but has 



1868.] 



