On å Melanistic Phase of Uria Grylle. 
By 
R. Collett. 
(Read at the Meeting of the Society March 8th, 1895.) - 
L a paper entitled: Remarks on the Species of the Genus 
Cepphus*)*, Dr. Stejneger has drawn attention to the fact ,,that,. 
in all probability, åa black-winged guillemot ocecurs in the North 
Atlantic, having mostly been overlooked or regarded as å mela- 
notice phase of the Common Guillemot since its first discovery 
sixty years ago. It would be exceedingly interesting to ascer- 
tain the status of the alleged species, å question of special con- 
cern to American ornithologists since the type was received 
from Greenland*. 
Dr. Stejneger then goes critically through the history of 
the above-named species; and after having pointed out the fact 
that it was first described by Benicken?) in 1824 from aå single 
specimen from Greenland, under the name of Uria Motzfeld:, 
(a month later the same specimen was described by Faber?) 
under the name of Uria umicolor), he comes to the conclusion 
that at present only two specimens of this species or form are 
preserved in museums. One of these, which is from Greenland, 
1) Proce. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1884, p. 210. 
2) Isis, 1823, p. 888. 
” 39, 1824, p. 981. 
* Sclsk. Forh. 1895. No.1. 15 
