252 SLENDER-BILLED GUILLEMOT. 



Head of moderate size, oblong ; neck short ; body full, depressed ; 

 wings small. Feet placed far behind, very short and slender ; tarsus 

 very short, reticulate ; toes slender, with numerous short scutella ; the 

 first wanting ; the third or middle toe longest, the inner much shorter 

 than the outer ; claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute. 



Plumage very soft, close, blended, rather glossy ; feathers of the 

 head very short, of the back oblong, of the lower parts ovate. Wings 

 small, very narrow, convex, falcate ; first quill longest, second a twelfth 

 of an inch shorter, the rest rapidly diminishing ; secondaries incurved, 

 obliquely rounded. Tail extremely short, narrow, rounded, of twelve 

 weak, rounded feathers. 



Bill black. Feet yellow ; claws black. The upper parts are 

 brownish-black, the feathers of the back terminally margined with 

 light grey ; the lower parts, cheeks, a transverse band on the nape, 

 both eyelids, and a longitudinal band on each side, formed by some of 

 the scapulars, white, some dusky streaks on the hind part of the sides, 

 and the lower wing-covert greyish-brown, the larger tipped with dull 



white. 



Length to end of tail 10 inches ; bill along the ridge ^|, along the 

 edge of lower mandible l^^ ; wing from flexure bf-^ ; tail 1^^ ; tarsus 

 3»g ; middle toe 1tV» its claw |^. 



Yoiing in Autumn. Plate CCCCXXIX. Fig. 2. 



Bill and feet as in the adult. The upper parts are brownish-black, 

 the feathers terminally margined with brown ; the occipital band is 

 merely indicated by some lighter feathers, and the scapular band is 

 brownish or chestnut-red. The lower parts have a curious mottled 

 appearance, the feathers being brownish-grey at the end, but in the 

 rest of their extent white, that colour appearing more or less on all 

 parts, and shewing a patch on the hind part of the sides. 



Length to end of tail 9f inches ; bill along the ridge ^|, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 1^^ ; wing from flexure b^^ ; tail 1^^ I tar 

 sus 1% \ middle toe H» its claw 1%. 



Two other individuals, apparently more advanced, or perhaps 

 adults in winter, have the upper parts brownish-black ; the lower white 

 but finely mottled, a small portion of the extremity of each feather be- 

 ing greyish-dusky. The white bands on the hind neck and scapulars 

 are formed, and the lower surface of the wing is brownish-grey. 



