344 
ALCINjE. 
ALCA. 
Male, 11 1, 23. 
Ranges southward along the coast in winter, at times as far as 
Georgia. Less rare from Long Island eastward, and becomes plenti- 
ful in the Bay of Fundy. Breeds in vast numbers in burrows, on the 
islands off Labrador. 
Mormon arcticus, Bonap. Syn. p. 430. 
Puffin or Coulterneb, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 542. 
Puffin, Mormon arcticus, Aun. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 105. 
GENUS II. ALCA, Linn. AUK. 
Bill as long as the head, feathered as far as the nostrils, 
beyond which it is very high, exceedingly compressed, and 
obliquely furrowed on the sides ; upper mandible with the 
dorsal line decurved, the ridge extremely narrow, the sides 
nearly flat, the nasal groove very large, and feathered, with 
its lower margin very narrow, and convex, the edges sharp 
and inflected, the tip decurved, very narrow, but obtuse ; 
lower mandible with the angle very narrow, and having a 
horny triangular appendage, the sides at first extremely 
narrow, towards the end erect and flat, the edges inflected, 
the dorsal outline concave, the tip decurved. Nostrils me- 
dial marginal, linear, short, concealed by the feathers. 
Head large, ovate ; neck short and thick ; body full, rather 
depressed. Feet placed far behind, short, stout; tibia bare 
for a short space ; tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly 
scutellate ; hind toe wanting ; anterior toes of moderate 
length, rather slender, scutellate, webbed, the outer slight- 
ly longer than the middle. Claws rather small, arched, 
compressed, obtuse. Plumage close, blended, very soft. 
Wings very short, narrow, acute, first quill longest. Tail 
short, tapering, of twelve or fourteen feathers. 
473. 1. Alca impennis, Linn. Great Auk. 
Plate CCCXLI. Adult. 
Bill rather longer than the head, its dorsal line convexo-declinate, 
upper mandible with a basal and eight terminal grooves, lower with 
