118 
THE TUFTED PUFFIN. 
middle, or along the extent of a long, narrow, rounded dorsal prominence, 
which extends from the base to the first groove, afterwards curved in the 
fourth of a circle, the ridge narrow, in its basal half rounded, narrower and 
rather sharp towards the end, the sides slightly convex, and marked with 
four curved transverse grooves, between the nostril and the tip, the edges 
rather blunt, nearly straight, until close to the decurved, narrow, obtuse tip. 
The basal rim is scrobiculate, the rest of the mandible smooth. The nostrils 
are linear, direct, close to the edge, and near the base. Lower mandible with 
the angle extremely short and narrow, the dorsal line nearly straight and 
ascending, the sides slightly concave, without grooves, the ridge narrow but 
convex, the tip very narrow, obliquely truncate. The gap extends down- 
wards a little beyond the base of the bill, and is furnished with a soft corru- 
gated extensible membraqe. 
Head large, oblong, anteriorly ; compressed ; eye of moderate size, with the 
edges of the eyelids bare ; neck short and thick ; body full and rounded. 
Feet short, rather stout ; tibia bare for a short space above the joint ; tarsus 
very short, anteriorly with a series of small scutella, the rest with small 
roundish scales. Hind toe wanting ; toes of moderate length, rather slender, 
scutellate above, connected by reticulated entire membranes, the third toe 
longest, the fourth a little shorter, the second considerably shorter, with a 
narrow marginal web. Claws strong, of moderate length, compressed, arch- 
ed, that of the inner toe much curved, of the middle toe with a thin inner 
edge. 
Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head, where, however, 
along a line over and behind the eye, there is on each side a tuft of long, 
very slender, acute incurved feathers, of a shining hair-like texture. Wings 
ijather short-,, curved, narrow, acute : primary quills narrow, incurved, first 
longest, second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries very 
• short, small and rounded. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of sixteen nar- 
row, rounded, decurved feathers. 
Bill light yellowish-red, the basal rim and the ridge towards the end of the 
upper mandible bright red, as is the edge of the eyelids. Iris light blue. 
Feet bright red ; webs of a deeper tint ; claws black. Sides of the head 
white ; upper part brownish-black ; the elongated feathers behind the eye 
pale yellow. The general colour of the upper parts is brownish-black, gloss- 
ed with blue, of the lower deep purplish-brown. 
Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 14, to end of claws 14 ; 
extent of wings 22§ ; wing from flexure 8^ ; tail 2i ; bill along the ridge 2f, 
along the edge of lower mandible lfj 5 tarsus 1 T % ; middle toe 1}| ; its 
claw,V 
