910 U. 8. p. E. R EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



FTYCHORHAMPHUS, Brandt. 



Plychorhamphus, Brandt, Bull. Acad. St. Petersburg, II, 1837. 

 Cn.— Small. General form short and heavy; head rather large. Bill short, straight, conical, pointed; under mandible with 

 one curved longitudinal groove from the base ; upper mandible with two or three grooves of the same description ; membrane 

 of the nostril large ; angle of the gonys very distinct. Wings moderate, pointed, first quill longest ; tail very short ; legs 

 moderate, compressed, covered with very small circular and he.xagonal scales. 



This genus embraces the present species only. 



PTYCHORHAMPHUS ALEUTICUS, (Pallas,) Brandt. 



Uria aleutica, Pallas, Zoog. Rosso-Asiat. II, p. 370, (1811 ) 



Plycho hamplms aleutkiis, Brandt, 1837. 



MerguUs cassinii, Gambel, Pioc. Acad. Philad. II, 1845, 2C6.— 1b. J. A. N. S. 2d series, II, 1850 ; pi. vi. 



Sp. Ch —Small. General form short and heavy ; bill conical, pointed ; wing moderate ; tail short ; legs and feet moderate ; 

 tarsi compressed. Bill brownish black, with a conspicuous spot of yellow at the base of the under mandible. Head above and 

 entire upper parts dark fuliginous, nearly black on the back and top of the head, tinged with ashy on the rump. Throat and 

 sides of the neck light ashy ; other under parts white ; a longitudinal stripe on the sides from the breast to the tibia dark ashy 

 brown ; under tail coverts white ; feet dark. 



Total length about 8 inches ; wing, 4| ; tail, Ig inches 



Hab. — Western and northwestern coast of America ; California, (Dr. Gambel.) 



This quite peculiar little bird is well figured in the Journal of the Philadelphia Academy, as 

 above cited, and is occasionally brought in collections from the western coasts of the United 

 States. It was first added to our fauna by the late Dr. William Gambel, as above, but is 

 undoubtedly the bird described by Pallas in Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica. 



List of specimens. 



OMBRIA, Eschscholtz. 



? FhaUris, Temminck, Man. 1820. 



Ombria, Eschscholtz, ZooI. Atlas, pt. iv, p. 3, (1831.) 



Ch. General form short and robust ; head moderate. Bill short, much compressed ; upper mandible with the culmen 



very distinct, and its cutting edge curved upwards ; under mandible much curved upwards ; nearly falcate in its terminal half; 

 membrane of the nostril large, corneous; a short longitudinal groove at base of the under mandible. Wings moderate, pointed; 

 tail short ; legs short, strong ; tarsus flattened laterally, covered with minute circular and oval scales ; feet with three toes only, 

 fully webbed ; claws rather long. Contains one species only. 



OMBRIA PSITTACULA, (Pallas,) Eschscholtz. 



Mca psittacula, Pallas, Spic. Zool. pt. V, 1769, 13. 



Phaleris psittacula, Stephens, XIII, i, 1826, 44. 



Ombria psitlacula, Eschscholtz, Zool. Atlas, IV, 1831, 3. 



Figures. — Eschscholtz, Zool. Atlas, pi. 17. — Pallas, Spic. Zool. pi. 2. — Zoog. Rosao-Asiat. pi. 84. — Lath. Gen. Hist. X, 

 pi. 170, fig. 2. 



Sr. Ch. — A line of long hair-like feathers from under the eye, extending longitudinally on the side of the nock, white. Head 

 and entire upper parts brownish black, slightly mi.\ed with white on the throat ; breast mottled with dark brown and white. 



