NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



59 



Asiatic and American Coasts 

 of the North Pacific; south to 

 Japan and Washington Terri- 

 tory, U. S. Specs, in Mus. 

 Acad. Philadelphia, and Mus. 

 Smiths. Inst. 



Bill more slender and elon- 

 gated than in the type of the 

 genus, the depth at base less, 

 and the compression not so 

 great, the sides of the bill being 

 less vertical ; rictus nearly 

 Fig. li..—SyHthlihor!iampJ,its Wiirmiziisume, (Temm.) Straight. Rather larger than ^S". 

 Nat. size. antiquus. 



Adult. — Bill decidedly yellow, (in the dried state,) the ridge of upper mandi- 

 ble alone black. Feet dull livid bluish, the weljs dusky, (feet dusky yellowish 

 in the dried state ) "Eye brilliant gray, iris black " (label). A large con- 

 spicuous crest springing from the extreme forehea-d of a dozen, (more or 

 fewer) slender elongated features, not recurved, but extending straight back- 

 wards quite to the occiput. A large conspicuous series of white feathers on 

 each side of the top of the bead, extending from the base of the crest, on the 

 forehead far in advance of the eyes, to the side of the nape ; tliere more or 

 less confluent with each other, and then dispersed as isolated white streaks 

 over the sides of the neck to the shoulders. In many specimens, however, 

 apparently quite adult, these white stripes are hardly, if at all, apparent 

 beyond the nape. Rest of head, including chin and upper part of throat 

 sooty or fuscous blackish, sometimes with a cinereous tint ; this color extend- 

 ing as far as the interscapular region, from which point the upper parts are 

 more decidedly plumbeous, only the wings and tail being somewhat darker and 

 more fuscous. Sides under the wings plumbeous black quite to the flanks ; 

 this color also extending forward in front of the wings and continuous with 

 that of the sides of the neck and head. Under surface of wings pure white, 

 except a little dusky clouding along the edge ; bases of primaries, and the 

 greater portion of their inner webs white, deepening very gradually through a 

 continuously deepening shade of brownish gray, into dusky at the tips. 

 Entire under parts (except the sides, as just described) pure white. 



Length 10-50 to 11-00; extent 18-00 to 18-50; wing 5-50; tail l-VS; tarsus 

 1-00 ; middle toe and claw 1-25, outer ]-20, middle 1-00 ; bill along culmen -70, 

 rictus 1-10 ; gonys -40 ; height at base -25 to -30, width about tlie same. 



Younger. — Bill and feet as above ; (bill sometimes, however, wholly blackish.) 

 Without a crest ; no white feathers about head, or only slight traces thereof. 

 Face, including region just about the base of the bill, both above and be'ow, 

 crown and sides of the head to the level of the commissure, with nape and 

 back of neck, plumbeous duskj- ; other upper parts, particularly the wings, 

 the same, but most of the back with a more decided tint of plumbeous. Under 

 wing coverts and primaries as in the adult. Sides uuder the wings narrowly 

 fusco-plumbeous, the lengthened feathers over the flanks variegated with 

 white. Entire under parts otherwise white ; this color extending far around 

 on the sides of the upper neck, nape and occiput. 



Considerable variation in plumage as well as in size, and to a degree, in 

 shape of bill, is exhibited by the numerous specimens examined. The differ- 

 ences in the bill are chiefly those of size, the relative proportions of the 

 various measurements being pretty constantly preserved. The bill is always 

 slenderer, and usually longer than that of an lit/ uus, approaching in this respect 

 the bills of the true Brachyrhauiphi. The size of the whole bird varies some- 

 what, hut not to any remarkable degree. In apparently equally adult speci- 

 mens, tlie two series of white feathers, which form conspicuous stripes on the 

 sides of the vertex and nape, vary much in length. Sometimes they spread 



1868.] 



