160 
THE BLACK GUILLEMOT. 
long and very narrow, the dorsal line ascending, straight, the sides sloping 
upwards, slightly convex, flat at ihe base, the edges sharp and inflected, the 
tip acute. 
Head of moderate size, oblong ; neck short ; body full, depressed ; wings 
rather small. Feet placed far behind, short, of moderate size ; tarsus short, 
compressed, anteriorly scutellate, laterally covered with reticulated angu- 
lar scales ; toes rather slender, scutellate above, connected by entire reticu- 
lated webs, the outer and inner with a small marginal membrane ; the first 
toe wanting, the third and fourth about equal, the second shortest ; claws 
small, arched, compressed, rather obtuse, that of the middle toe \yth a 
dilated thin inner edge. 
Plumage soft, close, blended and velvety ; feathers of the head very short, 
on the back broadly rounded, of the lower parts more elongated. Wings 
rather small ; primary quills curved, the first longest, the second little 
shorter, the rest rather rapidly diminishing ; secondary incurved, broadly 
rounded. Tail short, narrow, rounded, of twelve rather pointed feathers. 
Bill black, inside of mouth vermilion tinged with carmine. Iris deep 
brown. Feet of the same colour as the mouth, claws black. The general 
colour of the plumage is deep black, on the upper part tinged with green, on 
the lower with red, there being only a large patch on each wing, including 
the secondary coverts and some of the smaller feathers, pure white, as are 
the lower wing-coverts. The quills and tail are tinged with brown. 
Length to end of tail 13 g inches, to end of claws 16 J, to end of wings 13 ; 
extent of wings 21i ; wing from flexure 65 ; tail 2 ; bill along the ridge I4, 
along the gap T£ ; tarsus lf^ ; middle toe 1 i, its claw $. Weight 13£ oz. 
Adult in winter. 
The bill and iris are of the same colour as in summer, but the red of the 
feet is paler. The general colour of the plumage is white, the sides of the 
head, the neck all round, the lower parts, and the rump being of that colour, 
more or less shaded with grey. The upper part of the head obscurely 
mottled with greyish-black ; the back and scapulars black, each feather 
tipped with greyish-white, those of the latter more broadly. The wings 
and tail brownish-black, the former with the conspicuous white patch as in 
summer. 
Young a few days old. 
Bill and feet black, the former tinged with red ; iris dark brown. The 
general colour of the soft thick down with which the whole body is covered 
is brownish-black. 
Male from Dr. T. M. Brewer. The palate is flat, with two papillate 
ridges, and a series of papillm on each side, parallel to the posterior aperture 
of the nares, which is linear, and 10 twelfths long ; the anterior part con- 
