810 
SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PYGOPODES. 
turgid, with inflected tomial margins ; of under upright, grooved lengthwise ; gape straight ; 
gouys straight or nearly so, very long. Nasal fossae large, shallow, covered with soft skin 
in the only state known ; which flares over the rather long, narrowly oval suh-basal nostrils 
at the bottom of the fossa. Outline of frontal feathers nearly transverse across culmen, thence 
retreating obliquely to the commissure. Tarsi reticulate, much shorter than middle toe 
without claw. This genus apparently connects the PhaleridincB with the Alcincs, having 
much the aspect of Mergulus or Brachyrhamphus, with sui generis shape of bill ; its position 
will only be settled by learning what, if any, are the transformations of the bill. 
862. P. aleu'ticus. (Of the Aleutian Islands.) Aleutian Auk. Bill black, the skinny part 
pale in the only state observed ; feet blackish behind and below, bluish in front of tarsus and 
on tops of toes. A touch of white about eye. Upper parts blackish -plumbeous, the head, 
wings, and tail nearly black. This dark color, diluted to grayish-plumbeous, extends around 
the head, neck, and fore-breast, along the sides, and on lining of wings, fading to white on 
belly and crissum. No special states of plumage are known. Length 8.00-9-50; extent 
16.00-18.50; wing 4.75-5.25 ; tail 1.50-1.75 ; tarsus about 1.00; middle toe and claw 1.40; 
outer do. 1.30; inner do. 1.10; culmen 0.75; gape 0.90; gonys 0.60; depth of bill at base 
0.40, width 0.30. Pacific coast of N. A., Aleutians to L. Gala., thus not specially Arctic. 
Breeds as far soutli at least as the Farallones. 
77. Subfamily ALCDN>E : Guillemots, Murres, and Auks proper. 
863. 
See analysis on p. 799, and characters of subfamily PhaleridincB. Among the Alcince^ 
that is to say. Auks with feathered nostrils and unappendaged bill, there is a gentle gradation 
from those genera in which the bill is simplest and slenderest, as in the Gruillemots and Muitc- 
jets, to those in which it is stoutest, as in some of the Guillemots, and in the razor-billed and 
great auks, in which it is greatly compressed and sulcate, recalling that of a puffin. Some of 
the genera are confined to the North Pacific, as Synthlil)orliamphus and JBraclujrhamphus; 
others are circumpolar, as Uria and Lomvia : several, as AlUj TJria, Lomvia, Utaniania smd 
Aka, represent the family in the North Atlantic, together with Fratercula of the Plialeridince. 
AL'LE. (A local name of the bird.) Sea Dove. Size small ; form squat and bunchy. 
Bill very short, stout, and obtuse, as wide as high at base, 
the sides of both mandibles turgid, the edge of the upper 
much inflected ; culmen very convex ; rictus ample, de- 
curved at end ; gonys straight, very short, the mandibular 
rami correspondingly long, and widely divaricated ; nasal 
fossfe short, wide, deep, partly feathered. NostrUs sub 
basal, more nearly circular than in any other genus except- 
ing the next. Wings rather long for this family ; tail 
much rounded, with narrow pointed feathers. Feet small 
and weak; tarsus scarcely compressed, broadly scutellate in front, finely reticulate behind. 
One species. 
A. ni'gricans. (Lat. nigricans, blackening. Fig. 548.) Sea-dove. Do^t:kie. Alle. 
Adults in summer : Head and neck all around, and entire upper parts, very glossy blue-black j 
scapulars edged and secondaries tipped ^vith white, forming two conspicuous patches ; touches 
of white about eyes. Under parts from the neck pure white, some of the long feathers of the 
flanks rayed with black : lining of wings dusky. Bill black ; mouth yeUow ; feet black behind 
and below, in front and above flesh-colored ; eyes brown. In \^^nter : The white of under 
parts extending to the bill, and on sides of neck nearly around. Young like aduhs in winter, 
but upper parts duller ; bill smaller ; feet dusky greenish, the scales obscured. Length 8.50 ; 
extent 15.50; wing 4.75-5.25 ; tail 1.50; tarsus 0.80; middle toe and claw 1.20, outer do. 
Fig. 548. — Sea-dove, nat. size. 
