2162 The Zoologist. — June, 1870. 



Siraorhynchus camlschaticus is obviously the species most likely to 

 be confounded Hilh the present. In fact, such has been its fate at the 

 hands of so distinguished an ornithologist as M. Temniinck. It would 

 be wasting words to iuslitule a coniparieon between ihe adults of the 

 two species at this late day. In the youthful condition, before tlie 

 distinctive head-ornaments are apparent, and even before the bill has 

 attained its perfect form, so characteristic in each case, the two species 

 may be distinguished with equal facilil}'. In cauitschatica, the basal 

 moiety of the sides of the lower mandible is always feathered ; in 

 crislatellus tliis part of the bill is in its whole length always perfectly 

 bare of feathers. This latter feature is, in fact, the most excellent dia- 

 gnostic character of cristatellus ; by the aid of which alone the species 

 may always be recognized, be it in never so immature condition, with 

 never so undeveloped a bill. The relationships of this species to 

 dubius and tetraculus need not be noticed here, as they are given 

 in all necessary detail under the head of these species respectively. 



This species was introduced into the records in 1769, by Dr. Pallas, 

 who fortunately gave it a binomial name, thereby securing it from 

 appropriation by Graelin, who contrived to filch so many species from 

 Pennant, Latham, and other contemporaneous writers. Dr. Pallas 

 first described it as an Alca, but afterwards removed it to the genus 

 Uria — a very unwarrantable procedure. It is the type of Merrera's 

 genus Simorhynchus, and of Brandt's genus Tylorhamphus ; but not, 

 as generally supposed, of Temminck's genus Plialeris, which is based 

 upon Alba psitlacula. Pall. Though thus referred to so many 

 different genera, it has hardly a specific synonym, unless the name on 

 Audubon's plate 402 be regarded as such. 



Numerous excellent specimens of this bird are in the collections of 

 the Philadelphia Academy and of the Smithsonian Institution, from 

 the various localities quoted at the head of this article. It is 

 decidedly a boreal species, not recorded from the coast of the United 

 Stales, though occurring on the Asiatic shores as far south, at least, as 

 Japan, 



Simorhynchua dubiits, Cones. This species, if it be really such, 

 appears appropriately named, since there is nothing to distinguish it 

 from cristatellus beyond certain differences in the bill which might 

 with propriety be attributed to an immature condition of the specimen 

 upon which the species was based. And yet the mention of a recurved 

 crest of feathers upon the forehead by Dr. Pallas militates against the 

 supposition that his specimen was not adult. The great reliability 



