2396 The Zoologist— December, 1870. 



I am inclined to believe a horde were from some cause driven out of 

 their ordinary course in their spring migration, and came west until 

 stopped by the sea. If, on the contrary, there is a regular increase, we 

 shall doubtless have them here next summer in great numbers, for 

 although many were killed they bear no proportion to the numbers 

 which escaped. 



Thomas Dix. 



Llwynbedw, Keiiarth, 



November 10, 1870. 



Extracts from a Memoir intituled 'A Monograph of the Alcidcs.' 

 By Elliott Coues, A.M., M.D. 



(Concluded from S. S. 2378.) 



Genus Lomvia (Hay), Brandt. 



Bill shorter than the head, longer than the tarsus, straight or slightly 

 decurved, usually very slender, much compressed, culmen regularly 

 decurved in its whole length, rictus moderately and very gradually 

 decurved, gonys straight, or even slightly concave in outline, very 

 long, nearly as long as the culmen ; a groove in the side of the 

 upper mandible near its tip ; commissural edge of upper mandible 

 greatly inflected. Nasal fossa? scarcely apparent, fully feathered, the 

 nostrils wholly obtected by feathers. Feathers on side of lower 

 mandible retreating in a straight line obliquely upwards and backwards 

 from interramal space to rictus. Wings moderately long ; tail ex- 

 ceedingly short, the latter contained about three and two-thirds times 

 in the length of the former from carpus to end of longest primary ; 

 tail much rounded. Tarsus much compressed, posteriorly and laterally 

 reticulate, anteriorly scutellate, much shorter than the middle toe and 

 claw. Outer and middle toes about equal in length ; the claw of the 

 latter much larger than that of the former; tip of inner claw reaching 

 base of middle one. Claws compressed, moderately arched, acute, 

 the outer one not grooved on its outer face, the middle one greatly 

 dilated along its inner edge. A furrow in the plumage behind the 

 eyes. 



The genus as here constituted is restricted so as to comprehend 

 only troile and the species intimately related. It differs from Uria 

 proper in several points, some of them of decided importance. For 

 the benefit of those who may be sceptical regarding the propriety of 



