56 



Ardica, Gray, Genera, iii, 1849, in part. 



Anobapton, Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus, 1856, xlii. p. T74, in part. 



Size moderate or rather small ; general form stout, compact ; head with or 

 without a crest; bill somewhat as in Brachyrhamphus, but much stouter, and 

 shorter for its depth ; much compressed throughout, depth at base about half 

 the length of culmen, culmen and gonys moderately curved, gonys straight, 

 ascending; nasal fossse small and shallow; nostrils subbasal, broadly oval or 

 nearly circular, as in MerguluSjie&ih^vQA ; feathers extending to about the same 

 distance on culmen and keel ; on both mandibles retreating rapidly backwards 

 from the point of their furthest extension ; those on the upper passing just by 

 the nostrils, but not covering the latter. Wings of usual size and shape in this 

 group ; secondaries very short, as in Brachyrhamphus, the tip of the longest not 

 reaching much more than half-way from the carpal joint to the end of the first 

 primary in the closed wing. Tail of usual length, short, broad, nearly square, 

 or very slightly rounded, the feathers very broadly rounded at tip. Tarsi much 

 compressed, anteriorly and laterally transversely scutellate, posteriorly reticu- 

 late ; about as long as the middle toe without its claw. Outer toe as long as 

 or rather longer than the middle ; its claw smaller than that of the middle ; 

 tip of inner claw reaching base of middle. Claws small, short, compressed, 

 moderately curved and acute, the inner edge of the middle one somewhat di- 

 lated. 



With the general appearance of Brachyrhamphus, this genus differs from the 

 latter in the bill and feet. The bill is deeper at the base, and more compressed 

 throughout; the feet are still more different, having very broad transverse scu- 

 tellation on the anterior face of the tarsus, instead of polygonal reticulation ; 

 and are larger, both relatively and absolutely, with longer, much more com- 

 pressed tarsi than in Brachyrhamphus. The type of the genus is the old Alea 

 antiqua Gm. A second species occurs, which differs from the type, as far as 

 form is concerned, in a slenderer bill, and in the presence of a conspicuous 

 crest. 



Species. — (2.) 



Not crested ; bill stout, depth at base more than half the length 

 of culmen ; white on sides of vertex not extending in ad- 

 vance of the eyes antiquus. 



Crested ; bill slender, depth at base about equal to half the 

 length of culmen ; white on sides of vertex extending along 

 sides of forehead nearly to the bill , wurmizusume. 



Synthliborhamphtjs antiquus, [Gmel.) Brandt. 



Alca antiqua, Gmelin, S. N. i, pt. ii, 1788, p. 554, No. 11. Based upon Antient 

 Auk, Pennant, Arct. Zool. 1785, ii, p. 512, No. 430. Latham, Ind. Orn. ii, 

 1790, p. 795, No. 9. Donndorff, Beytr. Zool. ii. pt. i, 1794, p. 824. Schlegel, 

 Urinatores Mus. Pays-Bas, livr. ix, 1867, p. 21. 



Fratercula antiqua, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiii, 1825, p. 42. 



Uria antiqua, Temminck and Schlegel, Fn. Japon. 1845, pi. 80. Audubon, 

 Orn. Biogr. v, 1839, p. 100, pi. 402, fig. 12. Id. B. Amer. vii, 1844. 



Brachyrhamphus [Synthliborhamphiis) antiquus, Brandt, Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. 

 ii, 1837, p. 347. "Cassin, Baird's B. N. A. 1858, p. 916. 



Brachyrhamphus antiquus, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii, 1849, p. 644. 



Anobapton {Synthliborhamphus) antiquus, Bonaparte, Consp. Gav. Comptes Ren- 

 dus, 1856, xlii, p. 774. 



Uria senicula, Pallas, Zoog. R.-A. ii, 1811, p. 369, pi. 85. 



Mergulus cirrhocephalus. Vigors, Zool, Voy. Blossom, 1839, Birds, p. 32. 



Arctica cirrhocephala, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. 1849, p. 644. 



