498 THE DIVING BIRDS — TYGOrODES. 



specimen, in the British Museum, is recorded by Professor Newtou in "The Ibis" for 1865, 

 p. 518 —'said to have come from Iceland ; and in the "Arctic Manual" (1875), p. 109, he remarks 

 that IlolboU says that he has seen in Greenland an "entirely black example," which is probably 

 the same species. Tlie latest testimony that we have is that of Mr. L. Kumlien, who accompanied 

 the Howgate Polar E.xpedition in 1877-1878, and who saw "three entirely black specimens," 

 which were considered to be 0. carho. " One was procured in Cumberland, but was lost." 



It will tlius be seen tliat we have abundant and incontrovertible evidence of the existence in the 

 higher latitudes of tlie North Atlantic of a uniformly black or dusky Guillemot. Some authors 

 have referred it to C. carho, but it is evidently distinct from that species, which seems to be strictly 

 confined to the Asiatic coast of the North Pacific. Others have considered it a melanism of 

 C. gnjlle ; but the larger size and very different proportions preclude the likelihood of such relation- 

 ship. Upon the whole, there can be little doubt that it is a distinct species, probably most nearly 

 related to C. carho, and representing the latter in the North Atlantic. At any rate, it should be 

 kept in mind l)y those who have the opportunity of investigating the avian fauna of the northern 

 waters of the Atlantic.^ 



Genus BRACHYRAMPHUS, Brandt. 



Brachyramphus, Bi:andt, lUill. Ac. St. Petersb. II. 1837 (type, Cohjmbus marmoratus, Gmel.). 

 Jpobiiplon, BuANirr, 1. c. (same type). 



Char. Size small (wing less than 5.50 inches). Bill small and slender, much shorter than 

 the head (not longer than the short tarsus), compressed, and acute ; culmen gently curved, gonys 

 nearly straight ; mandibular tomium notched near the tip, and greatly inflected toward the base ; 



Z>. marmoraiiis, summer dress. 



nasal fossse small, shallow, mostly filled with feathers, which nearly conceal the very small nostrils ; 

 head witliout ornamental plumes. 



The exact number of species composing this genus is a matter of some doubt. The following 

 k(!y includes those whose validity is established, and also another (B. hrevirostris), which, if not 

 identical with B. KittUtzi, must also be a well-marked species. 



1 A nnicli more detailed history of this bird, by Dr. T^. Stcjneger, in an article entitled Remarks on 

 the Species of the (lenus Ccpphics, will soon be i)ublished in the Proceedings of tlie United States 

 National Museum. We have been kindly permitted by Dr. Stcjneger to compile the iuforuiation given in 

 the present article from his manuscript. 



