218 
ALCINiE. MORMON. 
the sides ; upper mandible with a strong dotted rim along 
its basal margin, the dorsal line decurved, the ridge narrow, 
the sides rapidly sloping, the edges sharp, the tip deflected, 
very narrow, obtuse ; lower mandible with the angle very 
narrow, inflected beyond the perpendicular, the dorsal line 
ascending, more or less convex, the sides perpendicular, the 
edges thin, the tip small and blunt ; the gape-line extending 
downwards a little beyond the base of the bill, and having a 
soft corrugated extensile membrane at the commissure. 
Nostrils linear, marginal. Eyes rather small, generally 
with small horny plates in their vicinity. Apertures of ears 
very small. Head large, roundish, ovate ; neck short and 
thick ; body full and rounded. Feet short, moderately stout, 
placed far behind ; tibia bare for a short space ; tarsus very 
short, little compressed, anteriorly with small scutella ; hind 
toe wanting, toes connected by entire webs, the outer and 
inner about equal ; claws strong, arched, acute, that of the 
inner toe much curved. Plumage dense, soft, blended ; 
wings short, narrow, much curved, acute ; tail very short, 
slightly rounded, of sixteen feathers. 
The Puffins, which belong to the arctic regions of both 
continents, resemble the Auks in form and habits, with this 
exception, that they generally burrow in the turf, and depo- 
sit their eggs under ground. They swim and dive with the 
greatest dexterity, feed upon small fishes, Crustacea, and 
mollusca, are capable of walking somewhat better than the 
Auks or Guillemots, and are especially remarkable for the 
form of their bill, which, viewed laterally, somewhat resem- 
bles that of a parrot, although, being extremely compressed, 
its form is very different. 
285 . Mormon arcticus. Arctic Puffin. 
Bill with three curved furrows on each mandible towards 
the end ; the basal rim and first ridge of both mandibles dull 
yellow, the intervening broad space greyish-blue, the rest 
bright red ; a flattened triangular horny body on the upper 
eyelid, and an elongated adherent plate on the lower ; throat 
and sides of the head greyish- white ; upper part of the head 
greyish-black ; middle of the neck all round, and all the upper 
parts black, glossed with blue ; lower parts white, unless 
under the wings, where the feathers are dusky-grey. 
Male, llj, 23 , 7, 2 , 1, 1J, T %. Female, 10J, 22 . 
