NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 67 



Brachyrhamphus brachyptkrus, Brandt. 



Brachyrhamphus hrachypterus, Brandt, Bull. Acad. Imper. St. Petersb. ii. 1837, 



p. 34G. Quotes "?7rw brachi/ptera Kittlitzii, MSS." Gray, Genera, iii, 1849, 



p. 644. Cassin, Birds N. A. 18"i8, p. 917. Merely copies Brandt's description. 



Anobapton [Brachyrhaniphus) hrachi/plcrus, Bonaparte, Tab. Comp. Pelagiens, 



Comptes Kendus, xlii, 185G, p. 774. 



"Supra cinerea, alls caudaque nigricantibus. Collum subtus et in latcribus, 

 pectus et abdomen alba. Rostrum capitis dimidii circiter longitudiue. Tarsi 

 digito medio longiores. Longitudine a rostri apice ad caudaj apicem 9. Patria 

 Unalaschka." — Brandt, I. c. 



This species is whollj' unknown, at least on this side of the Atlantic, except 

 by the aboye cited description of Brandt. It has nothing to distinguish it 

 from some other Brachyrhamphi exceyit the length of the tarsus. This, however, 

 if it really obtains, is sufficient to distinguish the bird from all others, not 

 only of the genus, but of the family ; for no known alcidine bird has the tarsi 

 longer than the middle toe. 



URIA, {Moehr.) Brisson. 



Columba sive Columbus, Anct. antiq. ex parte. Vria, Moehring, Av. Gen. 1752, 



p. G7, No. 73. Type Columba groenlandica, Willoughby. 

 f'T/ff, Brisson ; Briinnich, Orn. Bor. 1764; and of authors generally. 

 Alca, Linnjeus, Syst. Nat. i, 1758; in part. 



Colymbus, Linna?us, S. N. i, 1766, in part, and of many of the older authors. 

 Cepphus, Pallas, Spic. Zool. y. 1769, in part. 

 Gryllc, Brandt, Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. ii, 1837, p. 346. Type U. grylle, Briinn. 



Bill much shorter than the head, about equal to the tarsus, straight, rather 

 stout, moderately compressed ; culmen at first straight, then rapidly deflected ; 

 rictus straight, except just at tip ; gonys ascending, straight, short, about half 

 as long as the culmen. No groove in sides of upper mandible near its tip ; com- 

 missural edge of upper mandible scarcely inflected. Nasal fossa wide, long, 

 deeply excavated, partially bare of feathers, which do not wholly obtect the 

 nostrils. Feathers extending on sides of lower mandible with a salient rounded 

 outline. Wings and tail very short, the latter contained about two or two- 

 thirds times in the length of the former from the carpal joint to the end of 

 longest primary; tail slightly rounded. Tarsus much compressed, entirely 

 covered with polygonal reticulations, somewhat scutelliform on the inner 

 aspect ; slightly shorter than the middle toe without its claw. Outer and 

 middle toes equal in length ; the claw of the former much smaller than that 

 of the latter, tip of inner claw just reaching base of middle one. Claws com- 

 pressed, moderately arched and acute ; the outer one grooved along its outer 

 aspect, the middle one greatly dilated along its inner edge. No postocular 

 furrow in the plumage. 



In the preceding diagnosis the characters of the genus are so drawn as to 

 exclude the large species of Lomvia. Few writers have made this generic 

 distinction, for which, notwithstanding, there is abundant reason, as may be 

 seen upon a critical comparison of the two types of form ; and as will be 

 satisfactorily demonstrated at length under head of Lomvia. It need only be 

 noted here, that the structure of the bill and feet are in many respects very 

 different in the two genera. 



The genus as here framed comprehends three distinct species, intimately 

 allied to each other. 



Species : — (3.) 



Disregarding other and less prominent though very valid distinctions, the 

 three species of Uria may be at once recognized by the following character- 

 istics : — 



1868.] 



