55 



JUerffuIus alle, YieiUot, Analyse, 1816, p. 66. Id., Gal. Ois. 1825, p. 236, pi. 

 295. Gould, Birds Eur. v, 1837, pi. 402. Macgillivraj^, Hist. Brit. Birds, ii, 

 1852, p. 341. Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus, 1856, xlii, p. 774. Cassin, 

 Baird's B. N. A. 1858, p. 918. Boardman, Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H. Sept. 18G2, 

 p. 131. Verrill, Proc. Essex Inst, iii, 1863, p. 160. Samuels, Ornith. and 

 Ool. of New England, 1867, p. 570. 

 Arcdca alle, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii, 1849, p. 644. 

 A/caalce, Gmeliii, S. N. i, ])t. ii, 1788, p 544, No. 5. 



Alca Candida, Briinnich, Orn. Bor. 1764, p. 26, No. 107. In pure white plu- 

 mage ; probably albino. 

 Mergulus arcticus, Brehm 



E; ropean and American coasts of the North Atlantic. On the United States 

 coast, in winter, south to New Jersey. Numerous sjjccimens in Mus. Acad. 

 Philada., Smiths. Inst., Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Essex Inst., Cab. G. N.Lawrence, 

 author's Cab., etc. 



Adult, summer plumage. — Head and neck all around, and entire npper parts 

 glossy black, with a beautiful metallic lustre of a shade of blue, when in high- 

 est plumage ; scapulars edged with white ; shafts and inner webs of primaries 

 brown, lighter at base ; secondaries tipped with white ; under surfaces of the 

 wings brownish-gray; under parts from the breast pure white, with a few 

 elongated feathers of the sides and flanks varied with black on the outer webs ; 

 bill black ; legs and feet posteriorly blackish, anteriorly flesh-colored (dull 

 yellowish in the dried state). 



Adult in winter. — As before ; the white of the under parts extending on the 

 neck and throat to the bill, on the sides of the head to the level of the rictus, 

 on the sides of the nape over the auriculars (where it is somewhat marbled 

 with black), or even to the middle of the nape, more or less confluent with 

 that of the other side 



Young, first winter. — Recognizable by its smaller and weaker bill, by the 

 duller and more brownish black of the upper parts, almost wanting in gloss, 

 and hj the greater extension of the white upon the sides of the hind head and 

 neck. The scapulars and coverts are conspicuously marked with white, as in 

 the adult. The feet are mostly dusky. 



Length 8*50 ; wing 4-75 ; tail 1-50 ; tarsus -SO ; middle toe and claw 1-20, 

 outer do. 1-15, inner do. -85; bill along culmen -50, rictus 1-00, gonys -20; its 

 depth at base -35, its width at same point about the same. 



When in mature plumage, this is a very beautiful species. No other Alci- 

 dine has such lustre of the dorsal plumage, traces of which are even found in 

 adult winter specimens. In the latter the extent of the black upon the throat 

 is indicated by a dusky clouding of the bases of the feathers of the parts. The 

 species is ordinarily subject to only moderate variation in size or colors. The 

 condition of albinism has been described. 



The first chronicles of this species are of great antiquity. It appears to have 

 shared for a time with Uria grylle the soubriquet of " Coluraba groenlandica." 

 Since its description as Alca alle by Linnseus, it has been the basis of very few 

 synonyms. Alca Candida of Briinnich is this species in the albino state. Mer- 

 gulus melanoleucus, Ray, is adopted by many authors. Mr. G. R. Gray adopts 

 Mffihring's generic appellation. 



SYNTHLIBORHAMPHUS, Brandt. 



Alca, Gmelin, S. N. i, 1788, p. 554, and of the older authors, in part. 



Uria, Pallas, Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, and of some authors, in part. 



Fratercula. Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiii, 1825, in part. 



Synthlihorhamplius, Brandt, Bull Acad. St. Petersb. ii, 1837. (Type Alca anti- 



qua, Gm.) Subgenus oi Brachyrhamphus, Brandt. 

 Mergulus, Vigors, Zool. Voy. Blossom, 1839, in part. 



