348 
ALCIN^. MERGULUS. 
the tips of the secondary quills^ together with the breast and abdomen, 
white ; feathers on the sides under the wings with the inner webs 
dusky, lower wing-coverts blackish-grey. In winter, the throat, and 
lower parts of the cheeks white, sides and fore part of the neck white, 
the latter barred with blackish-grey ; the other parts as in summer, 
but the black duller, 
Male, 7h 14^. 
Rare and only during winter along the coast of the United States, 
from New York to Maine. More abundant along the coast of Nova 
Scotia, and far at sea. Breeds on the Arctic coasts. 
Little Auk, Alca Alle, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ix. p. 94 
Uria Alle, Bonap. Syn. p. 425. 
Little Guillemot, Uria Alle, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 479. 
Little Auk or Sea Dove, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 531. 
Little Guillemot, Uria Alle, Aun. Orn. Biog. v, iv. p. 304. 
GENUS V. URIA, Lath. GUILLEMOT. 
Bill generally shorter than the head, stout, compressed, 
tapering, acute ; upper mandible with the dorsal line slight- 
ly arched ; the ridge narrow, broader at the base, the sides 
sloping, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip a little de- 
curved, with a slight notch ; nasal groove broad, feathered ; 
nostrils at its lower edge, subbasal, lateral, longitudinal, li- 
near ; lower mandible with the angle rather long, narrow, 
the dorsal line ascending and straight, the back very narrow, 
the sides nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip 
acute. Head large, oblong ; neck short and thick ; body 
stout, elongated, rather depressed. Feet short, placed far 
behind ; the greater part of the tibia concealed, its lower 
part bare ; tarsus short, stout, compressed, anteriorly scu- 
tellate ; toes three, of moderate length, middle toe longest, 
outer little shorter, scutellate, connected by entire webs. 
Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather acute. 
Plumage dense, very soft, blended. Wings rather short, 
narrow, acute ; primary quills curved, tapering, the first 
and second longest; secondaries short, rounded. Tail very 
short, rounded, of twelve or more feathers. 
