come iuto use, except in an isolated instance or two ; Uria is in universal em- 

 ploy, accredited, however, as it should be, to a later writer ; Spheniscusisus^d.^ 

 in an entirely different acceptation, for a genus of Penguins ; and Chenalopex 

 for an Anserine genus. These names, though all positively identified, will not 

 be countenanced in their Aloehringian acceptation, for reasons just mentioned. 



(1758.) Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x. — The Linnaean genus ^/ca at this date 

 comprehended six species, to wit : impennis, torda, " pica," arctica, lomvia, alle. 

 Two Guillemots — grylU and troile — are presented under the genus Cohjmhus. 

 Excluding from these eight species Alca " pica," which is the winter plumage 

 of iorda, we have at the outset of authoritative records seven Linnfean names, 

 for as many valid species, representing as many distinct genera. The twelfth 

 edition (of 1766) gives us nothing new. 



(1760.) Brisson, Ornithologia. — This author gives excellent descriptions of 

 the then known species, but adds no new valid ones, though several stages of 

 plumage are characterized under distinctive names. He was a polynomialist 

 — to our lasting regret, and his great misfortune — and therefore not authorita- 

 tive in the matter of species. With those, however, who quote him for genera, 

 his Fi-dUrcula will stand as the name of the genus of which Alca arctica Linn. 

 is the type ; and his Uria for that one typified by Uria grylle. 



(1764.) Brunnich, Ornithologia Borealis. — This author was a strict binomi- 

 alist ; the question of the adoption of his names only hinges upon the accepta- 

 tion of LinuEBus at 1758 or at 1766. Briinnich's names are in general employ, 

 as they should be. The chief point of this work, regarding the Auks, is the 

 characterization of Uria ririgvia, which, though known long before, had been 

 usually referred to troile. Briianich describes the young or winter plumage of 

 Utamnnia tarda under the names " unisulcata " and " balthica ;" the young 

 Fratercula arctica as "Alca deleta;" the sAhmo Mergulus alle r.s "Alca Candida;" 



various plumages of Uria grylle as " grylloides," "balthica," and (No. 



116). Briinnich's " Uria lomvia " is Colymbus troille Linn. ; his " Uria troille " 

 and " Uria svarbag " are both Alca lomvia Linn. ; his " Uria alga " is ringvia 

 Briinn. in winter plumage. His descriptions, though brief, are all recognizable. 

 (Species now eight.) 



(1769.) Pallas, Spicilegia Zoologica,fasc. v. — Among the writers of the 18th 

 century, no one contributed so much to a knowledge of the Alcidse as Dr. 

 Pallas. He introduced more new valid species than any other writer, and gave 

 us our first knowledge of some of the curious forms from the North Pacific. 

 His works claim the high eulogium, that every one of the species they contain 

 are identifiable from the descriptions, and that a species is very rarely twice de- 

 scribed as new. In the Spicilegia four species are for the first time described : 

 Alca cirrhata, A. psittacula, A. cristatella and A. tetracula. A white state of 

 plumatre of Uria grylle {or possibly of U. columba) is described as " Cephus 

 lacteolus." The four species above mentioned are well described, and illus- 

 trated by plates. (Species now twelve.) 



(1785.) Pexnant, Arctic Zoology. — Although the author used only vernacular 

 names, his work must be here considered, since in it four species are for the 

 first time presented. These are the " Antient Auk" (for which the author is 

 indebted to Dr. Pallas' MS.), the " Labrador Auk," the " Pigmy Auk," and the 

 " Marbled Guillemot." The second and third of these are very dubious spe- 

 cies, which have never been located to the entire satisfaction of ornithologists 

 (cf. infra, under head of Fratercula arctica and Simorhynchus pusillus) ; the first 

 and fourth are good species. In this work the future Uria columba is hinted 

 at, but not named. (Species now fourteen.) 



(178><.) Gmblin, Systema Naturm. — In this compilation by the professional 

 plagiarist nothing new is given, but some points require notice. The genera 

 Alci.t and Colymbus retain, in general, their Linna;an signification. Pennant's 

 four species, above noticed, appear in proper Latin garb, as Alca antiqua, A. 

 labradrrica, A. pygmica and Colymbus marmoralus ; Pallas' four species are 



