GAVIiE. 275 



(Middendorff, Sibirische Reise, ii. p. 239). It is not uncommoa 

 during summer on the coasts of Yezzo (Blakiston and Pryer, Ibis, 

 1878, p. 211). It is an accidental visitor to the Commander Islands 

 (Stejneger, Orn. Expl. Comm. Isl. and Kamtsch. p. 23), but there is 

 no record of its occurrence on the coast of Alaska or the Aleutian 

 Islands since the time of Pallas. 



The Sooty Guillemot is slightly larger than the Pigeon-Guillemot, 

 and may always be distinguished from it by its longer bill. The 

 upper parts are dark brown at all ages and seasons, except that the 

 frontal feathers, the chin, and a space round the eye are pale grey. 

 It never has any white on the upper wing-coverts, but young birds 

 have much white on the under wing-coverts. 



A. columba. A. carbo. 



Bill from frontal feathers V2 to Bill from frontal feathers 1'4 to 



1-3 inch. 1*7 inch. 



Wing 6-9 to 7-2 inches. Wing 7-1 to 7-9 inches. 



More or less white On wingr No white on the upper surface of 



coverts, except in adult sum* the wing at any season or age. 



mer plumage. 



Frontal feathers always dark More or less pale grey on frontal 



brown ; no pale grey round feathers and round the eye. 



the eye, except in very young 



birds. 



The egg of the Sooty Guillemot (Schrenck, Reisen u. Forsch. im 

 Amur-Lande, i. pi. xvi. fig. 1) is larger than that of the Black 

 Guillemot, but not so large as even small examples of the egg of the 

 Razorbill ; otherwise it closely resembles them. 



270. ALCA COLUMBA. 

 (PIGEON-GUILLEMOT.) 



Cepphus columha, Pallas, Zoogr. Rossfl-Asiat. ii. p. 348 (1826). 



The Pigeon-Guillemot may be most easily distinguished from its 

 Japanese congeners by its combination of the two characters — secon- 

 daries never tipped with white, and bill from frontal feathers more 

 than an inch, but less than 1 J inch. 



Figures : Baird, Cassin, and Lawrence, Birds of North America, 



pi. 96. fig. 1. 



t2 



