1895.] ON A MELANISTIC PHASE OF URIA GRYLLE. 5 


The specimen sent (now preserved in the Christiania Mu- 
seum), was å female, and had the following dimensions”!): 
RKaalsengnad as OE 354 mm. 
Length of wing (from å Jomo IG 0 mm. 
Benotheortale GAS STAN 48 mm. 
Gulmen'((exposed) «12. 0 186 min, 
Bill, from tip to nostrils . . . 60 By ua, 
Do. from tip to fore border of nasal groove 95.5 mm. 
fommissure 1.20 KR TE 
PMenothoktarsus SSN nm 
The colour was slaty black, there being only underneath 
an almost imperceptible shade of brown. The wing patch was 
of the same colour as the back, without a single white or 
whitish feather. 
Within the margin (or the exposed part of the feather), 
most of the feathers were slightly lighter, almost dark gray. 
This was most conspicuous on the back of the neck and on tle 
flanks. The feathers on the flanks especially exhibited distinct 
markings, that portion of the feather lying nearést to the shaft, and 
the shaft itself being here more grayish. (This, however, was 
not visible in the bird when in its natural position.) 
On the wing patch too, tbe base of the feathers (especially 
their inner web) was imperceptibly lighter than the margin; 
but this was also quite invisible unless the feathers were raised. 
On the under side of the wing, the longest coverts were of 
a grayish white colour, the remainder black. 
On the wing-feathers themselves, the basal part of the 
inner web along the edge was white, both on the primaries and 
the secondaries. The tips of the feathers (to å breadth of about 
40 mm.), the region along the shafts, and the shafts themselves, 
were black. 
1) The measurements are taken from the fresh specimen; the total 
length is that of the fully-extended bird, from the point of the bill 
to the tip of the tail. 
