36 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



Length about 6-50 ; height of bill at base -30. Up- 

 per mandible with a basal knob ; bill stout and 

 wide for its length. No decided white patch on 



scapulars 7. microceros. 



Length about 5-50 ; height of bill at base -20. Up- 

 per mandible without a knob ; bill slender and 

 narrow for its length. Conspicuous white patch 



on scapulars 8. pusillus. 



The first distinctive name of this genus is said, by Mr. Gray, to be Simorhjn- 

 chus of Merrem, with cristatdlus as type. This genus is not in general employ. 

 The present writer does not know where it is instituted, but adopts it upon 

 the authority just mentioned. Phaleris of Temminck is usually adopted. This 

 genus was framed, in 1820, to include both psitlaculvs andcristatellus : the char- 

 acters as laid down apply best to the latter ; the former is mentioned first. It 

 cannot be used for cristatcllus, however, being antedated by Merrera's name. 

 If psiUaculus is separated from the present genus, it must be called Phaleris, 

 Temm., which antedates Ombria Esch., though the latter is usually applied to 

 that bird. Tylorhamphus Brandt is simply a duplication of Merrem's genus ; 

 Cyclorrhjinchus Kaup merely repeats Temminck's. Ciceronia Reicli^nbach is 

 based upon the smallest species of the genus — section four in the preceding 

 analysis. Section three of the foregoing synopsis, comprehending tetraculus 

 and Cassini, is really the most distinct of any, and is the best entitled to 

 generic rank. The chance to run in a name is left open to any one who may 

 be ambitious in that line. 



SiMORHYNCHUS PSITTACDLUS, (Pall.) ScM. 



Aha psUtacula, Pallas, Spic. Zool. v, 1769, p. 13, pi. 2, and pi. 5, figs. 4, 5, 6. 

 Gmelin, S. N. i, pt ii, 1788, p. 553. (Based on Pallas and Pennant.) Latham, 

 Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, p. 794. (Same basis.) Donndorlf, Beytr. Zool. ii, pt. i, 

 1794, p. 822. Quotes Steller, Nov. Act. Petrop. iv, p. 426, pi. 13, tigs. 25, 

 26; and other authorities. 

 Lunda psitlacida, Pallas, Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, p. 366, pi. 84. 

 Phaleris psittacula, Temminck, Man. Orn. i, 1820, p. 112. Stephens, Shaw's 

 Gen. Zool. xiii, 1825, p. 44. Bonaparte, Synopsis, 1828, p. 426. Gray, 

 Genera Birds, iii, 1849, p. 638. Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus, 1856, xlii, p. 774. 

 Ombria psi I taenia, Eschschokz, Zool. Atlas, 1831, iv, p. 3, pi. 17, Brandt, Bull. 

 Acad. St. Petersb. ii, 1837, p. 348. Cassin, Baird's B. N. A. 1858, p. 910. 

 Elliot, B. N. Am. 1866, part i. 

 Simorhynchus psittaculus, Schlegel, Urinatores Mus. Pays-Bas, 1867, livr. ix, p. 24. 

 Asiatic and American coasts of the North Pacific; Aleutian Islands ; Kamt- 

 schatka, (Mus. Acad. Philada.) ; Russian America, (Mus. Smiths. Institution) ; 

 Behring's Sea, (Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas.); Japan? 



Bill moderately large, much compressed, 

 densely feathered for some distance at base 

 of upper mandible and sides of lower. Up- 

 per mandible almost perfectly oval in its 

 lateral aspect, its culmen gently curved, 

 and its tomial edges more decidedly con- 

 vex, the former descending, the latter rapid- 

 ly ascending to meet at an obtuse angle. 

 Lower mandible extremely slender, falci- 

 form in sha[)e, strongly curved upwards, 

 its tip very acute, its tomial edges concave, 

 corresponding to the convex tomia of the 

 Fig. G.—Siinorht/nchus psiUaculus (PM.) upper mandible; the gonys much and 

 Nat. size. regularly curved. Nasal fossaj long and 



wide, but rather shallow ; the nares rather broadly linear, or narrowly oval, 

 overhung by a slightly projecting scale. Frontal feathers embracing culmen 



[Jan. 



