810 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— PYGOPOBES. 



turgid, \Yith inflected tomial margins ; of under upright, grooved lengthwise ; gape straight ; 

 gonys straight or nearly so, very long. Nasal fosste large, shallow, covered with soft skin 

 in the (jnly state known ; which flares over tlie rather long, narrowly oval sub-basal nostrils 

 at the bottom of the fossa. Outline of I'routal feathers nearly transverse across culmen, thence 

 retreating obliquely to the commissure. Tarsi reticulate, much shorter than middle toe 

 •ii-itlK)ut chnv. Tills genus apparently connects the Phaleridinm with the AlcincB, having 

 much the aspect of 3Iergulus or Brachyrhamplms, with sui generis shape of bill ; its position 

 will only be settled by learning what, if any, are the transformations of the bill. 

 862, P. aleii'ticus. (Of the Aleutian Islands.) Aleutian Auk. Bill black, the skinny part 

 pale in tlie only state observed; feet blackish behind and below, bluish in front of tarsus and 

 on tops of toes. A touch of white about eye. Upper parts blackish-plumbeous, the head, 

 M'ings, and tail nearly black. This dark color, diluted to grayish-pluinljeous, extends around 

 tlie head, neck, and fore-breast, along the sides, and on lining of wings, fading to white on 

 belly and crissuui. No special states of plumage are known. Length 8.00-9.50; extent 

 1(;.0!)-18.50; wiug 4.75-.5.25 ; tail 1.. 5 0-1. 75 ; tarsus about 1.00; middle too and claw 1.40; 

 outer do. 1.30; inner do. 1.10; culmen 0.75; gape 0.90; gonys 0.60; depth of bill at base 

 0.40, width 0..30. Paciflc coast of N. A., Aleutians to L. Gala., thus not specially Arctic. 

 Breeds as far soutli at least as the Farallones. 



77. Subfamily ALC!N>E : Cuillemots, Murres, and Auks proper. 



See analysis on p. 799, and characters of subfamily PhalericUna. Among the Alchuz, 

 that is to say. Auks with feathered nostrils and unappendaged bill, there is a gentle gradation 

 from those genera in which the bill is simplest and slenderest, as in the Guillemots and Muitc- 

 jets, to those in which it is stoutest, as in some of the Guillemots, and in the razor-billed and 

 great auks, in which it is greatly compressed and sulcate, recalling that of a puffin. Some of 

 the. genera are confined to the North Paciflc, as Synthltt>orhamphus and Brachyrhamphus ; 

 others are circuuipolar, as Uria and Lomvia : several, as Alle, Uria, Lomvia, Utamania and 

 Akd, represent the family in tlie North Atlantic, together with Fratercula of the Phaleridina. 

 342. AL'LK. (A local name of the bird.) Sea Dove. Size small ; form squat and bunchy. 



Bill very short, stout, and obtuse, as wide as high at base, 

 '"--., the sides of both mandibles turgid, the edge of the upiper 

 much inflected ; culmen vei'y c(nivex ; rictus ample, de- 

 curved at end ; gonys straight, very short, the mandibular 

 rami correspondingly long, and widely divaricated ; nasal 

 fossa; short, wide, dee]i, partly feathered. Nostrils sub 

 basal, more nearly circular than in any other genus except- 

 ing the next. Wings rather long for this family; tail 

 Fig. 648. — Sea-dove, nat. size. ,^^,,g^j rounded, with narrow pointed feathers. Feet small 



and weak; tarsus scarcely compressed, broadly scutcdlate in front, finely reticulate behind. 

 One species. 

 803. A. ni'grlcans, (Lat. nigricans, blackening. Fig. 548.) Sea-dove. Dovekie. Alle. 

 Adults in summer : Head and necjk all around, and entire upjier parts, very glossy blue-black ; 

 scapulars edged and secondaries tipped with white, forming two conspicuous patches; touches 

 of white about eyes. Under parts from the neck pure white, some of the long feathers of the 

 flanks rayed with black ; lining of wings dusky. Bill black ; mouth yellow ; feet black behind 

 and below, in front and above flesh-colored ; eyes brown. In winter : The white of under 

 parts extending to the bill, and on sides of neck nearly around. Young like adults in winter, 

 but upper parts duller; bill smaller ; feet dusky greenish, the scales obscured. Length 8.50; 

 extent 15.50; wing 4.75-5.25; tail 1.50; tarsus 0.80; middle toe and claw 1.20, outer do. 



