BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 713 
Alia impennis Boppaxrrt, Tabl. Pl. Enl., 1783, 22 (Pl. Enl., pl. 367). 
Plautus impennis Sremnstrup, Vid. Med. Nat. Férh. Kjobenhavn, 1855, 14; 
Nat. Fér. Vid. Med., 1855, 33-116.—Preyer, Journ. ftir Orn., 1862, 110, 337. 
—Bairp, Brewer, and Ripaway, Water Birds N. Am., ii, 1884, 467.— 
AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS’ Union, Check List, 1886, and 2d ed., 1895, 
no. 33; 3d ed., 1910, p. 32.—Smarpx, Handb. Birds Great Brit., iv, 1897, 
111, pl. 105.—Granrt, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvi, 1898, 563.—THaAYER, 
Auk, xxii, 1905, 300, pls. 13, 14 (as to recent purchase of mounted specimen 
and 3 eggs); xxix, 1912, 208, pl. 12 (account of eggs in Thayer Museum). 
P{lautus] impennis Ripeway, Man. N. Am. Birds, 1887, 19. 
[Plautus] impennis SHarpr, Hand-list, i, 1899, 130.—ForBes and Rosinson, 
Bull. Liverp. Mus., ii, no. 2, 1899, 51. 
Plinguinus] impennis Bonnaterre, Tabl. Enc. Méth., i, 1790, 29, pl. 10, fig. 2. 
Pingouin impennis Lactrkpr and Davnin, in Didot ed. Buffon Hist. Nat. 
Quadr., xiv, 1799 (1802), 313. 
[Chenalopex] impennis Gray, Hand-list, iii, 1871, 95, no. 10773. 
Alca borealis Forster, Synopt. Cat. Brit. Birds, 1817, 29. 
[Alca] maior Mernem, in Ersch u. Gruber, Encycl., sect. i, ii, 1819, 407. 
Genus ALCA Linnzus. 
Alca Linnazus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, i, 1758, 130; ed. 12, i, 1766, 210. (Type, by 
tautonymy, Alca torda Linneus.) 
Pingouin Lacéré&vg, in Buffon Hist. Nat., Quadr., Didot ed., xiv, 1799 (1802),. 
313. (Type, Alca torda Linnzus.) 
Utamania Leacsu, Syst. Cat. Birds and Mam. Brit. Mus., 1816, 42. 
Large Alcidz (wing 188-201 mm.) with the deep and compressed and. 
transversely-; -grooved bill much shorter than head; tail graduated, of 
12 rectrices, and wings well-developed (adapted for flight). 
Bill much shorter than head, the distance from anterior end of 
nostril to tip of maxilla much less than from same point to rictus, 
much compressed, its width at anterior end of nostril equal to only 
about half the depth of maxilla at same point; culmen strongly 
arched, the tip of maxilla strongly uncinate; tomia nearly straight 
to near tip where strongly decurved; gonydeal angle prominent, 
the gonys ascending and faintly concave distally; mandibular rami 
densely covered with soft, velvety feathering except along upper 
edge, the anterior outline of the feathering forming a gently curved 
(convex) line to the base of gonys; whole loral region and nasal 
fossae densely covered with short, soft velvety feathering, which 
overhangs the upper edge of the longitudinal, slit-like nostril, the 
anterior edge of this feathering forming a slightly curved (convex) 
strongly oblique line from anterior end of nostril to base of culmen; 
a narrow prominent lamina saddled over base of maxilla, against 
frontal and loral feathering, at the lower end continued backward as a. 
prominent longitudinal ridge, between nostril and tomium, to the 
rictus, the mandible also with a similar ridge along upper and anterior 
portions of the ramus; sides of maxilla with two or three rather broad 
