AUKS, MURRES, AND PUFFINS 15 



Distribution. Coasts and islands of the north Pacific from Bering 

 Strait south to Washington and Japan. Recorded from Puget Sound, 



Auk, x. 17. 



GENUS SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS. 



21. Synthliboramphus antiquus (GmeL). ANCIENT MURRELET. 



Bill small and short, nostrils exposed ; front of tarsus covered with 

 transverse scutellse. Breeding plumage : head and neck black, with large 

 white patch on side of neck, a wide stripe of white filaments along back 

 edge of crown, and scattered white filaments over back of neck ; back 

 slaty ; sides black ; under parts white. Winter plumage : throat white ; 

 head and back without white filaments ; sides gray. Length: 9.50-10.80, 

 wing 5.25-5.50, bill .60. 



Distribution. Coasts and islands of the north Pacific ; south to Monte- 

 rey Bay. 



Nest. As described by Littlejohn, often an abandoned burrow of Cassin 

 auklet, a crevice under a rock, or a burrow under a tussock of rank grass, 

 lined with dry grass ; but sometimes bare rocks, sand, or wet ground. 

 Eggs : 2, deep buff, with small longitudinal markings of light brown and 

 lavender gray. 



Ancient murrelets visit California in winter in considerable num- 

 bers, and Mr. Loomis has found them near the Seaside Laboratory 

 close to the surf in the little coves. He describes them as "great 

 divers and swimmers under water, and voracious in their pursuit of 

 small fry, occasionally driving the fish to the surface in the eager- 

 ness of the chase." 



Mr. Littlejohn, who visited their breeding grounds on the Alaskan 

 islands, says that on some of the favorite islands the entire surface 

 was literally alive with murrelets, auklets, and petrels. 



GENUS BRACHYRAMPHUS. 



General Characters. Bill small and slender ; colors plain ; head not 

 crested. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Tarsus shorter than middle toe to claw . . . marmoratus, p. 15. 

 1'. Tarsus as long as, or longer than, middle toe to claw. 



hypoleucus, p. 16. 



23. Brachyramphus marmoratus (GmeL}. MARBLED MUR- 

 RELET. 



Breeding Plumage. Upper parts dusky, back and sides barred with deep 

 rusty brown ; under parts white, mottled with sooty brown. Winter plum- 

 age: upper parts slaty, with white 

 band on back of neck ; scapulars 

 mixed with white ; feathers of back 

 tipped with plumbeous ; flanks with 



dark gray stripes. Young : upper Fig. 36. 



parts dusky, collar and scapular spots indistinct ; under parts white, mot- 

 tled, or speckled with sooty. Length : 9.50-10.00, wing 5, bill .60-.70. 



Distribution. Pacific coast from southern California to western Alaska. 



