COMMON OR ARCTIC PUFFIN. 243 



orbits; over the upper eyelid an oblong, nearly erect, horny body, along the 

 lower a more elongated one of the same nature. Neck short and thick. 

 Body full and rounded. Wings short. Feet short, rather stout; tibia bare 

 for a short way above the joint. Tarsus very short, little compressed, 

 anteriorly with a series of small scutella, the rest with reticular angular 

 scales. Hind toe wanting. Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutel- 

 late above, connected by reticulated entire membranes which project a little, 

 the third and fourth toes about equal, the second considerably shorter, with 

 a narrow marginal web. Claws strong, of moderate length, compressed, 

 slightly arched; that of the inner toe much curved and acute. 



Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head. Wings curved, 

 short, narrow, acute. Primary quills narrow, incurved, first longest, second 

 a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated. Secondaries very short, small 

 and rounded. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of sixteen narrow rounded 

 feathers. 



Bill with the basal rim and first ridge of upper mandible dull yellow, the 

 intervening space greyish-blue, basal margin of lower bright red, first ridge 

 and intervening space as in the upper, the rest bright red (carmine tinged 

 with vermilion); membrane at the base of the gap gamboge-yellow, inside of 

 mouth and tongue yellow. Edge -of eyelids vermilion, horny appendages of 

 eyelids greyish-blue. Iris light blue. Feet vermilion, claws black. Throat 

 and sides of the head white, that colour extending over the eye, and passing 

 in a narrow line behind the occiput. Upper part of the head blackish-grey, 

 tinged with olive, paler anteriorly. The middle of the neck all round, and 

 all the upper parts of the body, deep black, with blue reflections, the quills 

 tinged with brown. The whole under surface white, except the upper part 

 of the sides, which are dusky. 



Length to end of tail llf inches, to end of claws 13^, extent of wings 23; 

 bill along the back 2, along the edge of upper mandible H; depth of bill at 

 base 1-|, its greatest diameter -§; tarsus 1, middle toe 1^, its claw \. Weight 



fib. 



Female. 



The female is precisely similar to the male, but of somewhat smaller size. 



