34 



that of the adult bird above described. There is no trace of an accessory 

 piece between the rami. 



The bird above described was first indicated as a distinct species by Mr. 

 Cassin in 1858 ; that gentleman founding his specific characters mainly upon 

 the small size, someMhat darker colors, and much smaller, slender bill, as com- 

 pared with monocerala. The species has always been looked upon with con- 

 siderable mistrust, and very generally regarded as only a young munocerata. 

 At the time of the introduction of Suckleyi, C. monocerata was not known in all 

 its ages and stages of plumage, as it is at present. The horn which charac- 

 terizes it was believed to be frequently wanting, particularly in the young 

 bird. The accessory symphyseal piece had not received attention. These 

 facts, together with the almost perfect identity in plumage of the two birds, 

 very naturally led to the suspicion above mentioned ; seemingly borne out, 

 too, bj^ the fact that the type of Suckleyi was a very young bird, the adult of 

 which was unknown, or at least unrecognized. But it has been shown in the 

 preceding article that indications both of the horn and of the accessory inter- 

 ramal element appear in monocera'a even before it is fully feathered, and that 

 these two distinguishing features are preserved in all ages, at all seasons, 

 with both sexes. The discovery of Suckleyi in perfectly adult breeding plum- 

 age settles the question of its identity with monocerata. Specimen No. 31,908, 

 above described, has no trace of a horn or accessory symphyseal piece ; and is 

 smaller, and otherwise conspicuously different from monocerata, though of 

 almost preciselj' similar colors of plumage. 



There is something highly interesting, very singular, and, with our present 

 information upon the subject, totally inexplicable, in the fact that the plumage 

 of the two birds is so nearly identical as not to be satisfactorily distinguished 

 in any particular ; while the bills differ in such radical characteristics. The 

 suspicion comes unbidden, that the whole truth in the matter of C. monocerata, 

 and S. Suckleyi — and S. Lathami, too — remains to be developed; while it is 

 certain, at the same time, that nothing but the truth appears upon these pages. 

 In the reference of this species to the genus Sagmatorrhina, the writer is 

 guided simply by Bonaparte's diagnosis, and by the figure of the head of S. 

 Lathami, kindly furnished by Dr. Sclater. The dimensions of S. Lathami and 

 the form of the bird are sufficient to distinguish 5. Suckleyi from it. 



SIMORHYNCHUS, 3Ierrem. 



Alca, Pallas, Spic. Zool. v, 1769, in part; and of some authors. 



Uria, Pallas, Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, in part. 



Lvnda, Pallas, Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, in part. 



Simorhynchus, Merrem, , 1819. Type Alca cristatella, Pall. Fide G. R. 



Gray. (Where is this genus named ?) 



Phaleris, Temminck, Man. Orn. ii, 1820. Type Alca psittacula, Pallas. (Also 

 includes cristatella.) And of most authors. 



3Iormon, Lichtenstein, 1823, in part. [M. superciliosa = camtschatica, Lep.) 

 Ombria, Eschscholtz, Zool. Atlas, 1831. Type Alca psHtacula,'Pa.l[AS. 

 Cyclorrhynchus, Kaup, 1829. Type Alca psittacula, Pall. Fide G. R. Gray. 

 Tylorliamphvs, Brandt, Bull. Acad. Imper. St. Petersburg, ii, 1837. Type' JZca 



cristatella, Pall. 

 Ciceronia, Reichenbach, 1853. Type Phaleris microceros, Brandt. 



Of moderate and very small size ; general form stout. Usually with a crest, 

 or with elongated feathers about the head. Bill variable : sometimes simple, 

 oftener irregular in form, with various elevations and depressions, often with 

 nodules or other accessory elements; always stout, compressed, shorter than 

 the head, the culmen very convex, the tip acute. Nostrils entirely unfeathered. 

 "Wings and tail of the ordinary shape and length. Feet small and short ; tar- 

 sus compressed, entirely reticulate, shorter than the middle toe. Toes long, 

 outer and middle about equal in length, the claw of the latter largest. Claw 



