LAHID.K — TllK (JILI.S ANH TKHNS — RISSA. '20] 



Rissa breviroBtris. 



THE SEO-LEGOED KITTIWAKE. 



Einsn Hi'nvT, ("Jray, (umi. B. 111. 184') (tint of Talias, IS'Jti). I.awk. in Hainrs H. Jf. Am. IS.IS 



S;').'!. — KLi.mr, lllnstr. Am. 11. pi. ;>i. 

 Ijinis Imu-liifrliimcliiut, Ooim.p, 1*. Z. S. 184;?, lOii ; Zool. Voy. SiiliOi. r>0, pi. ;U (not of liuiiAKHsos, 



1831). 

 Lini.i {liiss(i) liivriivstn'.i, " lliiAMir," Hurcii, ,1. f. O. 18.'i;l, •.V'n;'). — Cm is, 11. N. W. I8;"t. (Hi. 

 lUxAi lurvinistn'x, Lawk, in naiiil's 15. N. Am. 18.')8, 8."i;'i. liAir.n, (\it. N. .\m. 1>. 18,"i!>, iu>. (171. — 



Kiixnv. Noni. X. Am. H. 18S1, no. (>;')!). — Corr.s, 2il (lioik List. 188-J, no. 781. 

 J.iinis lurvirostris, I'lU'l-.s, Key, 187'.', 'M^> : Check List, 187;!, no. .".rilt ; in K.lliolt's Alaska, 187."i, 100. 

 Lu-li.i U'dntifk-ii, I'oiNlii:, Ki'V. ft Ma;;. Zool. 18(!|), -101. 



Hah. Coast.-* ami islands of tlio Xortli racilic, south to the riyhilot' Urouii ami .Moutians. 



Si\ Chaii. FiH't tli'i'n ooral-ivil or vi'iiiiilion in tin- adult. Adult, in .^ii in im r : M.iutli' d(V|) 

 hhijsh i)hiinlH'ous (ih'cidodly darkor than in h'. trltlartiilii. nearly tlio same shade as in l.nni.^ utri' 

 (ilhi), the secondaries hroaiUy and somewhat alirunlly tipped with white. Primaries not li.uhter 

 than the hack, the exterior (piill with tlie outer well Mack, tlie iie.xt nearly (sometimes (piite) .so, 

 the next three with a lar^^e sul)lerminal space of Mack 

 cxti'udinj; from almut l'..")() inches on the third to aliont 

 .7') of an inch (more or less) on the tiftli, these three 

 (|aills tippeil with iiliiniUeous ; remaining; ([uills Muish 

 plinnlieous, the inner welis liroadly edj;eil ami tlu' outer 

 tipped with white ; sixth iiiiill usimlly with a Mack spot 

 near the end of the outer well. IJemaiuder of the plu- 

 mage snow-white. Bill yellow, sometimes tin>;ed with 

 (ir.enish ; rictus and inside of mouth oraiij;e-reil ; naked 

 eyelids vermilion ; iris dark Lrown (Stk,ini:uku, .MS.). 

 Aihilt, in winhr: Similar, liut nape tinv;ed transversely 

 with p.ile pearl-Mui", tlie auriculars crossed tiy a liar of 

 liliunlieous. I'oioi;/, /i)v7 pliiiiidiji' : Similar to the ailult, 

 lull nape crossed by u band of blackish plumbeoii.<), 

 another across the auriculars, and a sutfusion of the 



same in front of the eyes. Primary coverJs and i>uter webs of tlitve or four exterior primaries 

 hiack, but no other black or dusky on wings or on t.iil. Hill black or dusky ; feel brownish. 

 Doiniii iimnKj: Not distiiiLjuishable from thai of It. Iriildcliilii. 



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WiiiLT, about i;5.(H) inches; culmeu, l.-JO ; de|)tli I'f bill through base, .M ; Ihrougli angle, .1:! ; 

 taisM^, 1. •_'■); middle toe (with claw) nearly -.00. 



Our kiu)\vlo(lo;o of the luiliit.s aiiil fivogvaphical (li.stvilmtioii of this spccii's is soino- 

 wliat; limiti'd, thoiijih coiisidfraldy iticrcascd by the iiivostigatioiis of Mr. 11. W. i''iliott 

 ill the I'ryb'iof Ishunls, whciv it is aluiinhmt. Its ju'ciiliar iialiits do not appear to 



lie essi'iitially (UttVreiit from thoso of the coiiiinoii Kiltiwak 



It 



is |ind)aidy more 



or less comnn)!! both to those islands and to the sea-coast of liotli shores of the North 

 I'aiitie (Veait ami of the lUdiriiig Sea. 



Mr. Dall, in his Notes on the Minis of the Aleutian Islands, speaks of it as very 

 eoMiuiou in tho Pryltilof Islamls; and in his jtaper on the liirds of .\lask;i nuMilions 

 it as oeeiirriiiij; by thoiisamls over a small lake on St. (ieorgc's Island, wliere it was 

 very eonspieuons irom its coral-red legs and feet — this rendering; (dear to him that it 

 luust be the tnic form originally ilcscrilicd by Uramlt. Tho s|H'cinu'ns in the C(d- 

 Icction of tho Smithscmian Institution, which wliilc ilirtVring from tliis in no other 

 respect wore found to have yellowish legs, ami wi'n> at first an oeeasion of dtnilit, 

 prove to be identical wMth this, the yellow color having been fcumd to be the result 

 of diying. Mr. l")all rightly conjectured that this is the same sjieeies as that since 



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