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Order VII. ALCLE. 

 Family ALCID53. 



Genus ALCA. 



Alca, Brisson, Orn. vi. p. 85 (1760). 



TJria apud Brisson, Orn. vi. p. 70 (1760). 



Alca, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 210 (1766). 



Colymhus apud Linnaeus, torn. cit. p. 220 (1766). 



Pinguinus apud Bonnaterre, Encycl. Method, i. p. 28 (1790). 



Torcla apud Dumeril, Zool. Anal. p. 73 (1806). 



Utamania apud Leach, Syst. Cat. M. & B. Brit. Mus. p. 42 (1816). 



Plautus apud Steenstrup, Naturl. Foren. Vidensk. Meddel. 1855, p. 114. 



Catarractes apud Bryant, Mon. Gen. Catarr. in Proc. Bost. Soc. N. H. 1861, p. 6. 



Lomvia apud Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1868, p. 75. 



Chenalopex apud G. R. Gray, Hand-1. of B. iii. p. 95 (1871). 



The Auks inhabit the northern portions of both the Paleearctic and Nearctic Regions, four 

 species being found within the limits of the Western Palsearctic Region. By many authorities 

 the larger Guillemots have been separated from the Auks and placed in a genus by themselves, 

 TJria being the generic title usually made use of for them ; but I have deemed it advisable to 

 follow Schlegel in uniting the larger Guillemots with the Razorbills in the genus Alca. I have, 

 however, separated the Black Guillemot and its allies, placing them in the genus TJria. 



The species belonging to the genus Alca frequent the ocean, and are frequently found far 

 from land. They swim and dive with great facility, and use their short, firm wings in propelling 

 themselves under the water. Having their feet placed so far behind, they walk badly and stand 

 in an upright position. They feed on small fish, mollusca, Crustacea, &c, and obtain their food 

 chiefly by diving. They are gregarious, and are usually found, both in the breeding- and at 

 other seasons of the year, in considerable numbers. They place their single egg, which is richly 

 blotched with colour on a greyish, greenish, bluish, or pale-brown ground, on a ledge in the 

 cliffs, not making any nest. 



Alca torda, the type of the genus, has the bill slightly shorter than the head, stout, much 

 higher than broad at the base, the dorsal line arcuate and decurvate, the ridge very narrow, the 

 sides erect and transversely grooved, the edges sharp, the lower mandible with the dorsal line 

 ascending, and concave towards the end ; nasal sinus broad, feathered, the nostrils linear and in 

 the lower anterior portion ; wings short, pointed, the first quill longest ; tail moderate, cuneate ; 

 legs stout, short, placed far behind ; tibia feathered nearly to the joint ; tarsus stout, anteriorly 

 scutellate, laterally and posteriorly covered with small roundish scales ; hind toe wanting ; 

 anterior toes moderately long, connected by webs, the inner toe much shorter than the outer 

 ones; claws stout, slightly curved, obtuse, that on the middle toe with the inner edge dilated. 



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