116 RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 



grown, they weighed about a pound and a half. The stomach is an ob- 

 long sac, the lower part of which is rather muscular, and answers the pur- 

 pose of a gizzai'd. In many I found scales, remnants of fish, and pieces 

 of shells. The intestines were upwards of three feet in length. 



Immediately after the breeding season, these birds drop their quills, 

 and are quite unable to fly until the beginning of October, when they 

 all leave their breeding grounds for the sea, and move southward. The 

 young at this period scarcely shew the white streak between the bill and 

 the eye ; their cheeks, like those of the old birds at this time, and the 

 fore part of the neck, are dingy white, and remain so until the following 

 spring, when the only difference between the young and the old is, that 

 the former have the bill smaller and less furrowed, and the head more 

 brown. The back, tail, and lower parts do not seem to undergo any 

 material change. 



Alca Torda, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 210 Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 793 — 



Ck. Bonap. Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 431. 

 Razor-bill, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 547- 



Adult Male in summer, Plate CCXIV. Fig. 1. 



Bill shorter than the head, feathered as far as the nostrils, beyond which 

 it is very high, exceedingly compressed, and obliquely furrowed on the 

 sides. Upper mandible with the dorsal line curved so as to form the 

 third of a circle, the ridge extremely narrow but rounded, the sides near- 

 ly flat, with five grooves, the one next the base deeper and more narrow, 

 the edges inflected and sharp, the tip decurved and obtuse. Nostrils 

 medial, marginal, linear, short, pervious, but concealed by the feathers. 

 Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, and having a horny triangular 

 appendage, the base at first horizontal and extremely narrow, then slop- 

 ing forwards and rounded, the dorsal outline rounded, towards the end 

 concave, the sides slightly concave, the edges inflected, the tip decurved. 



Head large, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes small. Neck short 

 and strong. Body full, rather depressed. Wings small. Feet placed 

 far behind, short, rather strong ; tibia bare a short way above the joint ; 

 tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly scuteUate, laterally covered with 

 reticulated angular scales, posteriorly granulate. Hind toe wanting ; 

 toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, connected by re- 



