ALCID/E — THE AUKS — SIMOIIH YXCHUS. 51 1 



Yomuj (= Alca py(jm(ra, Gmkl., iiiid Siinorlujnchus Casgini, CoUES ; X(». 05436, Constantine 

 Harbor, Aiiichitka Island, Aleutians, July •Ki, 1873, W. II. Daij.): AIjovc, entirely unifonn Kl'"''<y 

 pluniboous-lilack, including the whole loral, orbital, and upper part of the malar regions ; lower 

 part of auricular region, throat, and chin deep smoky gray, the lower pail of the throat with a mixed 

 hoary white and dusky suffusion, forming a somewhat triangular transvei"se patch ; foreneck, Jugu- 

 lum, and entire sides, deep uniform slaty plumbeous, gradually lightening on the brejist, and 

 changing insensibly to white on the lower part of the abdomen, anal region, and cri.ssum ; lining of 

 the wing deep smoky plumbeous or slate. On each side of the forehead, from the bctse of the cul- 

 nien back to above the eye, a series of indistinct, small, narrow white feathers, and fn^m the same 

 origin another series of similar feathers running oblii^uely downward across the lores, thence hori- 

 zontally backward on a line with the commissure, about as far as the posterior angle of the eye. 

 A whitish streak behind the eye. Maxilla black, more brownish below the nostril ; mandilde 

 brownish, palei- basally ; "iris white" (Dall); legs and feet brownish in the dried skin. Wing, 

 4.10 inches ; culmen, .40 ; depth of bill at base, .30, width, .25 ; tarsus, .85 ; middle toe, without 

 claw, .90. Another specimen (type of "/S'. Cassini," Coues, No. 46564, ^, Ouninak Pas.s, Aleutian.s, 

 Aug. 3, 1866 ; W. H. Dall) is similar to the preceding, but has no trace of ornamental Hlaments 

 about the head, and the whole throat is smoky gray, not distinctly defined against the plumbeou.s- 

 slate of the foreneck. Wing, 4.25 inches ; culmen, .35 ; depth of bill at base, .25, width, .20 ; 

 tarsus, .85 ; middle toe, .85. Downy young : Uniform grayish fuliginous, lighter below. 



There can be no question that the Simorhynchus Cassini, Coues, is the young of S. camtschaticus, 

 Pallas ; and it is equally certain that the Alca pyymcm, Gjiel., is the same stage of this species. 

 Gmelin's description ^ fits the young plumage (= " Cassini ") in every particular, while it does not 

 answer at all to any other known member of the family. 



There are several fine adults in breeding-plumage of this species in the National Museum col- 

 lection, collected in the Aleutian Islands by Mr. Lucien M. Turner, and in the Commander I.'ilands 

 by Dr. Leonhard Stejneger. Of the immature plumage there are, besides the type of "/S. Cassini,^ 

 also many specimens, besides several in the down. Two of the latter, with feathers just appearing 

 beneath the surface of the down on the lateral lower parts, as well as on the wings, scapular region, 

 and fore part of the head, were obtained by Mr. W. H. Dall at Kyska Harbor, Aleutians, July 3, 

 1873. There are also two specimens in the collection from Constantine Harbor, besides the one 

 described above, and one (No. 67399, ^) from Akootan Island, collected Sept. 10, 1874, by Mr. 

 H. W. Elliott. 



We have no notes or information in regard to the habits of this species. It was 

 met with by Mr. Dall on several of the Aleutian Iskiuds. It was originally described 

 by Lepechin as having come from Kamtschatka. 



Messrs. Blakiston and Pryer ("Ibis," 1878, p. 210) state that this bird was 

 obtained from the Kurile Ishands (Chigima) in summer by Mr. ^. Fukusi. ^h: H. 

 Whitely procured two specimens off the east coast of Japan (•' Ibis," 1867, p. 209) ; 

 and in Commodore Perry's Expedition examples were secured at Simoda and 'i'okio 

 Bay. 



Genus SIMORHYNCHUS, Merrem. 



Simorhynchus, Mehiiem, 1819 (type, Alca cristatclla, T\u..Jidc 0. R. Guay). — Coites, Pr. Philad. 



Aoad. 1868, p. 34 diart). 

 Tyloramphus, BuANDT, Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. II. 1837, 348 (same type). 



Char. Mandibles triangular, the lower nearly as deep as the uppei-, with the gonys very 

 straight, forming a more or less decided, and sometimes prominent, angle at the base ; in the breed- 

 ivy season the base of the bill furnished with several accessory corneous pieces, most conspicuous of 



1 " Postro nigro, vertice, cervice, dorso, alis, cauda podibusiiue obscuris, jugulo et iK'ctoro glaucis, 

 abdomine sordide albo . . . alee minor, 7 poll, longa " (Gmelix). 



