BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 755 
Genus SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS Brandt. 
Synthliboramphus Branbt, Bull. Ac. St. Petersb., ii, 1837, 347. (Type, Alcea 
antiqua Gmelin.) 
Synthliborhamphus (emendation) Gray, List Gen. Birds, 2d ed., 1841, 98. 
Rhamphosynthlipsis@ Cours, Key N. Am. Birds, 5th ed., ii, Dec., 1903, 1075. 
(Type, Uria wumizusume Temminck.) 
Small Phalerine (wing 125-141 mm.) with acrotarsium trans- 
versely scutellate, outer toe (without claw) longer than middle toe 
(without claw), depth of bill at base of gonys equal to length of 
gonys, and mandibular rami extensively unfeathered. 
Bill very short (exposed culmen not more than half aslongas tarsus), 
deep (depth at latero-frontal antiz equal to or greater than length 
of gonys), much compressed anteriorly; culmen regularly and rather 
strongly curved; gonys very short (slightly more than half as long as 
exposed culmen), straight, ascending terminally, the mandibular 
rami relatively broad; commissure nearly straight for most of its 
length, gently decurved terminally, the tomia of both maxilla and 
mandible indistinctly notched subterminally; nostril broadly cuneate 
or triangular, with a broad and prominent oblique operculum over- 
hanging upper-anterior edge and occupying whole of upper-anterior 
portion of nasal fossa; latero-frontal antia close to culmen, on same 
vertical line with anterior end of nostril, the medio-frontal edge of 
feathering very slightly indented at base of the broadly rounded 
culmen; malar antia about on line (vertically) with posterior end of 
nostril, or Slightly posterior to it; mental antia very slightly anterior 
to anterior end of nasal fossa. Wing small, the longest primary 
(outermost) exceeding distal secondaries by slightly more than half 
the length of wing. Tail less than three-sevenths (very slightly more 
than one-fourth) as long as wing, very slightly rounded, the rectrices 
(14) broadly rounded at tips. Tarsus slightly longer than middle toe 
without claw, the acrotarsium transversely scutellate, the scutella 
extending over greater part of inner and anterior half of outer side; 
outer toe, without claw, longer than middle toe without claw, the 
inner toe (without claw) longer than first two phalanges of middle toe. 
Plumage and coloration—Plumage of whole frontal region very 
full, semierect, blended, in one species developed into a distinct crest, 
that of malar, suborbital and auricular regions, chin, and throat 
shorter and softer. In breeding plumage, greater part of head 
uniform black (more fuscous or slaty on throat, etc.), the supra- 
auricular region (in one species the superciliary region also) streaked 
with white; back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts plain 
slate-gray; under parts immaculate white, the sides and flanks 
uniform sooty black. Winter plumage with whole throat white (the 
@‘Paudos, beak; civ, with; @\i~rs, pressure. (Richmond.) 
