STREPSILIDJ3 — THE SURF BIRD — APHRIZA. 
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Hab. Pacific coast of America, from Alaska to Chili ; Sandwich Islands. 
Sp. Char. Bill about as long as the head, rather thick at the base, and shallowest about one 
third of the distance from the end ; nostrils large, situated in a very distinct longitudinal groove, 
which occupies the middle two thirds of the bill ; wings long ; tail rather long, emarginate ; legs 
stout. Adult in summer: Head, neck, and dorsal region spotted and streaked with dusky and 
whitish ; the latter predominating on head, neck, and breast, where the darker markings are in the 
form of irregular streaks, but on the breast becoming irregular, broad, crescentic bars ; scapulars 
with large, irregular spots ol rufous. Upper tail-coverts, basal halt of tail, a broad band across 
ends of greater wing-coverts, edges of outer webs of secondaries, tips of primary-coverts (broadly) 
bases, shafts, and tips (narrowly) of primaries, tip of tail, and lower parts from the breast, back 
(including most of under-side of wing), pure white ; sides and crissum with angular spots of dusky. 
“Bill dusky toward the end, orange at the base; feet bluish green, claws black” (Audubon). 
Winter plumage : Head, neck, and breast, and most of upper parts, plain dusky or brownish slate ; 
white areas as in the summer plumage. “ Iris black ; eyelids black ; legs olive-green ; claws 
black” (Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, 15). Young : Much like the winter plumage, but with indistinct 
white borders to feathers of the upper parts, and the breast, throat, etc., white, with dusky streaks, 
instead of plain dusky. Differing from the summer plumage in the absence of rufous on upper 
parts, and in the white margins to wing-coverts. 
Wing, about 7.00 ; culmen, .95-1.00 ; tarsus, 1.20; middle toe, .90. 
Very little is known in regard to the habits or the distribution of this species. It 
is found on the Sandwich Islands and others of the Pacific Ocean, hut is rare on our 
western coast. A single specimen — a female — was obtained at Cape Disappoint- 
ment, near the mouth of the Columbia, by Mr. Townsend. He states, in regard to 
it, that it was sitting on the edge of the steep rocks, the heavy surf frequently dash- 
ing its spray over it as it foraged among the retreating waves. It flew with a quick 
jerking motion of its wings, and alighted again at a short distance. The stomach 
was strong and muscular, and contained fragments of a small black shell-fish which 
is found adhering to the rocks in that neighborhood. 
Dr. Cooper regards this species as a rather rare visitor to our Pacific coast, though 
he has seen birds which he supposed to be of this species at the mouth of the Columbia 
and on Santa Barbara Island ; but they were so wild, he could not get a shot at them. 
Dr. Heermann obtained a specimen of this bird in the San Francisco market in the 
winter of 1849, and thinks that he met with others of this species the following 
June on the Farallon Islands, where they were gathered in small flocks, engaged in 
picking up marine insects from the rock-bound shores, which were covered with kelp 
and shell-fish. They did not appear wild. Dr. Cooper did not notice any of them on 
the Farallon Islands in June, 1864, but did see some of the Strepsilas melanocephalus, 
which resembles this species, and may have been mistaken for it by Dr. Heermann. 
