GREAT AUK 479 
greater wing-coverts, brownish, edged with biackish-brown ; 
axillaries and under wing-coverts, dirty white, washed with 
dull buff or mud-brown colour. The bases of the brown 
feathers are for the most part lighter than the tips ; feathers 
of the middle of the back very ruffled from the moult and 
many missing; the down of the breast and abdomen, 
whitish, that of the upper parts, hght brown. 
Brak. Blackish-brown; on either side of the upper 
segment are five furrows, of which four are close together 
near the tip, the remaining one near the base being 
separated by an interval; on either side of the lower 
segment are ten shorter furrows, all close together near the 
tip ; on the left side the two most distal furrows are feebly 
marked ; lower border of the under segment somewhat sword- 
shaped ; whole beak, laterally compressed, the culmen being 
sharp, narrow, and strongly curved downwards ; the point of 
the upper segment does not project beyond that of the 
lower. ‘The beak gapes shghtly. The nasal openings, which 
are linear, are almost hidden from view by a dense covering of 
short feathers. 
Fret. Blackish; some of the scales of each tarso- 
metatarsus being chipped and worn; toe-nails, moderately 
sharp ; middle toe-nail, slightly curved outwards. 
Iripes. Light yellowish-brown, or almost deep orange 
in shade. 
MEASUREMENTS. 
ToraL LENGTH. From top of head to tip of tail 23 in. 
Ee Chin to tip of tail oe 3p 2a 
Heicur (standing) ... Hit Be Ab % 
BREADTH. Across middle. oF back x5 SOY elie eee 
ys Across middle of breast ahs 7a ee Ongar 
re OF BEAK TO OCCIPUT ... ae Sak nf a oeee 
CHIN TO OCCIPUT ... shee Mae she Aa. 
FRONT OF EYE TO BASE OF BEAK ... SF ane pA Yar 
BACK OF EYE TO OCCIPUT ... ie Ber ie 2°25 ,, 
DIAMETER OF ORBITAL OPENING ... ae — Oars 
LENGTH OF WING ... 5 
EXPANSE OF WING. Carpal joint moderately 
folded (see Plate LI.)... oe 4 
CARPAL JOINT TO TIPS OF SECONDARIES ... ee 3 
RECTRICES (tips of most feathers worn off) abe 3 
Beak. Upper margin (culmen) ... 3 
