Front matter (continued 8)

Male, 31, 49¹/₄.

Gulf of Mexico, and as far east as the coast of Georgia. Breeds on the Fortugas Keys, south of Florida. Abundant. Migratory.

Sula fusca, Bonap. Syn. 408.

Booby, Sula fusca, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 500.

Booby Gannet, Sula fusca, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 63.

GENUS VI. PHAETON, Linn. TROPIC BIRD.

Bill as long as the head, stout, very much compressed, slightly curved, tapering, acute, opening to beneath the eye; upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge narrow, rounded, the sides sloping and slightly convex at the base, nearly erect towards the end, the edges sharp, direct, irregularly broken, the tip acuminate; nasal groove short, near the ridge, lower mandible with the angle long, and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight and ascending, the sides erect and slightly convex, the tip acuminate. Nostrils basal, linear, very small. Head rather large, ovate; neck short and thick; body rather full. Feet very short; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus extremely short, roundish, covered with small round scales; toes rather small, placed in the same plane, and connected by reticulated webs; first very small, third a little longer than fourth, all scutellate above. Claws small, arched, compressed, rather sharp, that of the third toe with a thin entire inner edge. Plumage soft, blended, on the back rather compact. Wings long, acute, the first quill longest. Tail of twelve feathers, tapering, the two middle feathers extremely elongated, narrow, and tapering. This genus appears to be intermediate between Sula and Sterna.

427. 1. Phaeton æthereus, Linn. Common Tropic Bird.

Plate CCLXII. Male and Female.

Bill, tarsi, and hind toes yellow, the rest of the foot black; general colour of plumage pale pink, or white tinged with carmine, the two middle tail-feathers redder; a curved spot before the eye, and a short band behind it, black; a band of the same colour across the wing from the flexure, running narrow along the middle coverts, much enlarged on the inner secondaries and their coverts, and including the extremities of the scapulars; outer webs, shafts, and a portion of the inner webs of the first four primary quills, also black; and a spot of the same on some of the primary coverts; shafts of two middle tail-feathers black, unless toward the end; some of the elongated feathers on the hind part of the sides greyish-black in the centre. Female less tinged with red, and having the tail-feathers less elongated.

Male, 29¹/₂, 38. Female, 26, 34.

Rare on the coast of Florida. Migratory.

Phaeton æthereus, Bonap. Syn. p. 409.

Tropic Bird, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 503.

Tropic Bird, Phaeton æthereus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 442.

FAMILY XLII. LARINÆ. GULLS.

Bill of moderate length, straight, compressed, acute; upper mandible with the dorsal line generally straight until toward the end, when it is decurved, the ridge convex, the nasal groove rather long, the edges sharp, direct, overlapping, the tip rather acute and declinate; lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line ascending and nearly straight, with an angular prominence at its commencement. Nostrils submedial or basal, oblong. Head of moderate size, ovate; neck of moderate length; body rather stout. Legs short or of moderate length; tibia bare at its lower part; tarsus anteriorly scutellate; toes four, the first very small, free, the third longest; anterior toes connected by webs. Claws small, arched, compressed, rather acute. Plumage full, soft, blended, somewhat compact on the back and wings, the latter long and pointed; tail of twelve feathers, even, rounded, or emarginate. Tongue long, slender, pointed; œsophagus very wide; stomach rather small, moderately muscular, with a dense, longitudinally rugous epithelium; intestine of moderate length and width; cœca small; cloaca globular. Trachea simple, with a single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, rudely constructed. Eggs few, not exceeding four, spotted. Young covered with down.

GENUS I. RHYNCHOPS, Linn. SKIMMER.

Bill longer than the head, nearly straight, tetragonal at the base, suddenly extremely compressed and continuing so to the end; upper mandible much shorter than the lower, its ridge sharp, the sides erect but a little convex, the edges approximated so as to leave merely a very narrow groove between them, the tip a little rounded, when viewed laterally; nasal groove rather short, near the margin; lower mandible with the angle extremely short, the dorsal line straight or slightly decurved, the sides erect, obliquely grooved, the edges united into a very thin blade, which fits into the narrow groove of the upper mandible, the tip rounded or abrupt, when viewed laterally. Nostrils linear-oblong. Head rather large, oblong, considerably elevated in front; neck rather short, thick; body short, ovate. Feet short, moderately stout; tibia bare below, with narrow transverse scutella before and behind; tarsus short, anteriorly covered with broad scutella; toes very small, the first extremely short and free, unless at the base; middle toe slightly longer than outer; anterior toes united by deeply emarginate webs. Claws long, compressed, slightly arched, rather obtuse. Plumage moderately full, soft, and blended; wings extremely long, and very narrow; primary quills excessively long, the first longest; secondaries short. Tail of moderate length, deeply forked, of twelve feathers. Tongue short, triangular, tapering; œsophagus wide; stomach rather small, oblong, muscular, the cuticular lining dense, with nine broad longitudinal rugæ; intestine rather long, narrow; cœca very small; cloaca large, globular, the digestive organs are precisely similar to those of the Terns and smaller Gulls.

428. 1. Rhynchops nigra, Linn. Black Skimmer.

Plate CCCXXIII. Male

Bill rich carmine in its basal half, the rest black; feet carmine; upper plumage deep brownish-black; secondary quills and four or five of the primaries tipped with white, the latter on the inner web chiefly; tail-feathers black, broadly margined on both sides with white, the outer more extensively; the middle tail-coverts black, the lateral black on the inner, and white on the outer web; a broad band of white over the forehead, extending to the fore part of the eye; cheeks and throat of the same colour; the rest of the neck, and lower parts in spring and autumn of a delicate cream-colour; axillary feathers, lower wing-coverts, and a large portion of the secondary quills, white, the coverts along the edge of the wing black. Female smaller, similar to the male, but with the tail-feathers white, excepting a longitudinal band including the shaft. After the first autumnal moult, there is on the hind part of the neck a broad band of white mottled with greyish-black; the lower parts pure white, the upper of a duller black; bill and feet less richly coloured.

Male, 20, 48. Female, 16³/₄, 44¹/₂.

During winter, in vast multitudes on the coast of Florida. In summer dispersed in large flocks from Texas to New Jersey, breeding on sand beaches or islands. In the evenings and at night ascends streams sometimes to the distance of one hundred miles.

Black Skimmer or Shear-water, Rhynchops nigra, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 85.

Rhincops nigra, Bonap. Syn. p. 352.

Black Skimmer, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 264.

Black Skimmer or Razor-billed Shear-water, Rhynchops nigra, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 203.

GENUS II. STERNA, Linn. TERN.

Bill longer than the head, rather stout or slender, nearly straight, compressed, very acute; upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge rather broad and convex at the base, gradually narrowed toward the end, sides convex, edges sharp and direct, tip acute; nasal groove short; lower mandible with the angle very narrow, acute, extending to the middle, the dorsal line straight, the sides slightly convex, nearly erect, the sharp edges inflected, the tips very acute. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, direct. Head rather large, oblong; neck of moderate length and thick; body slender. Feet short, moderately stout; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus short, roundish, covered all round with small scales; first toe very small, third longest, fourth a little shorter; anterior toes connected by emarginate webs. Claws slightly curved, compressed, acute. Plumage soft, close, blended, rather compact on the back and wings. Wings extremely long, narrow, and pointed, the first quill longest, the rest rapidly graduated. Tail long, generally forked, of twelve feathers. Tongue very slender, tapering, with the point slit; œsophagus extremely wide; proventricular belt complete; stomach rather small, moderately muscular, with the epithelium dense and longitudinally rugous; intestine of moderate length, rather narrow; cœca small.

429. 1. Sterna Cayana, Lath. Cayenne Tern.

Plate CCLXXIII. Male.

Bill longer than the head, stout; wings longer than the tail, which is moderately forked; bill carmine; feet black; upper part of the head and occiput greenish-black; back and wings light greyish-blue; primary quills bluish-grey on their outer webs, darker on the outer part of the inner, their inner part white, as are the ends and inner webs of the secondaries; upper tail-coverts and tail greyish-white; all the other parts pure white.

Male, 19, 44.

From Texas, in spring, to the Floridas, where it breeds on the Tortugas. Labrador, but not observed in the intermediate parts of the Atlantic coast. Abundant. Migratory.

Sterna cayana, Bonap. Syn. v. ii. p. 353.

Cayenne Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 208.

Cayenne Tern, Sterna cayana, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 505; v. v. p. 639.

430. 2. Sterna Anglica, Montagu. Gull-billed Tern.—Marsh Tern.

Plate CCCCX. Male.

Bill about the length of the head, stout; wings longer than the tail, which is moderately forked; bill and feet black; upper part of the head and occiput greenish-black; sides of the head, fore neck, and all the lower parts, white; upper parts pale greyish-blue, edges of the wings whitish; primaries hoary on the outer web, deep grey on the inner, their shafts and those of the tail-feathers white; the tail of a paler tint than the back, and the outer feather nearly white.

Male, 14, 34.

Cosmopolite. In America, breeds from the mouth of the Mississippi to Connecticut. Not abundant. Migratory.

Marsh Tern, Sterna aranea, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 143.

Sterna aranea, Bonap. Syn. p. 354.

Marsh Tern, Sterna anglica, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 269.

Marsh or Gull-billed Tern, Sterna anglica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 127.

431. 3. Sterna Cantiaca, Gmel. Sandwich Tern.

Plate CCLXXIX. Adult.

Bill considerably longer than the head, rather slender, black, with the tips yellow; inside of mouth deep blue; feet black; wings longer than the tail, which is deeply forked; upper part of head and hind neck bluish-black; sides of head, neck all round, and the rest of the lower parts white, the sides and breast tinged with pink; fore part of back, scapulars, and upper surface of wings pale greyish-blue; the tips and greater part of the inner webs of the scapulars and quills white, as are the rump and tail; the four outer quills blackish, but covered with light grey down on the outer webs, and over a considerable extent of the inner, their shafts white. Young, after the first moult, of a light greyish-blue on the upper parts, the feathers tipped and banded in an undulating manner with brownish-black; the upper part of the head and hind neck brownish-black mottled with white; quills as in the adult; tail grey, with irregular blackish markings towards the tips of the feathers; lower parts of a much lighter pale grey; bill and feet black.

Adult, 15³/₄, 33³/₄.

From Texas, during spring and summer, to the Floridas, where it breeds in great numbers. Never observed in any other part of the coast of America. Migratory.

Sandwich Tern. Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 276.

Sandwich Tern, Sterna cantiaca, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 531.

432. 4. Sterna fuliginosa, Lath. Sooty Tern.

Plate CCXXXV.

Bill slightly longer than the head, rather slender, and with the feet black; tail very deeply forked, much longer than the wings; forehead white; lores, upper part of head, hind neck, and all the upper parts deep black, tinged with brown, on the head glossed with blue; edges of wings and lateral tail-feathers white, the latter with the inner web toward the end dusky; lower parts and sides of head and neck pure white. Young with the lower parts and forehead white, the upper parts greyish-brown, the feathers edged with brownish-white, the primary quills greyish-black.

Male, 16¹/₄, 34³/₄.

From Texas to the Floridas, in spring. Breeds in immense multitudes on the Tortugas. Migratory.

Sterna fuliginosa, Bonap. Syn. p. 355.

Sooty Tern, Sterna fuliginosa, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 145.

Sooty Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 284.

Sooty Tern, Sterna fuliginosa, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 263; v. v. p. 641.

433. 5. Sterna Hirundo, Linn. Common Tern.

Plate CCCIX. Male.

Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, bright coral-red, towards the end black, the tip light yellow; feet coral-red, lighter than the bill; wings slightly shorter than the tail, which is very deeply forked; upper part of head and hind neck half-way down, deep bluish-black, anteriorly tinged with brown; sides of head, fore neck, and all the lower parts white, with a slight tinge of greyish-blue on the breast; back, scapulars, and wings light greyish-blue; edges of wings, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, slightly tinged with grey; first primary with the outer web deep black, the shaft white, on the inner web a greyish-black band running along the shaft, narrow at the base, and widening, so as to occupy the whole breadth of the web for an inch at the end, where it is hoary; the next five with the outer web, and a varying portion of the inner in nearly their whole length hoary, but with a dusky shade, becoming more apparent at the end; the rest of the quills like the back, but margined and tipped with white; tail-feathers with the inner webs white, the outer of the colour of the back, paler on the middle feathers, gradually deepening outwards, and on the outer feathers dark grey. Young, in first plumage, with the bill dull greenish-black, its tip yellowish, feet greenish-yellow; upper parts chiefly light brown. In winter, the bill black, with the base pale orange, the tip yellowish, the feet orange-yellow; the colour of the plumage as in the adult, the forehead white, the rest of the head dusky, the upper parts having the feathers slightly margined with lighter.

Male, 16, 31¹/₂.

Breeds from Galveston Islands along the shores of the Atlantic to Labrador, and as far north as Lat. 57°. Returns southward in autumn, passing beyond the Texas. Extremely abundant.

Great Tern, Sterna Hirundo, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 76.

Sterna Hirundo, Bonap. Syn. p. 354.

Sterna Hirundo, Great Tern, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 412.

Great or Common Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 271.

Common Tern, Sterna Hirundo, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 74.

434. 6. Sterna Havellii, Aud. Havell's Tern.

Plate CCCCIX. Fig. 1. Adult.

Bill about the length of the head, rather stout; wings a little shorter than the tail, which is deeply forked. In winter, the bill black, towards the base brown, and a small portion of the tip yellowish; feet orange; a broad band of black surrounding the eye, and extending toward the nape; fore part of head, cheeks, and all the lower parts pure white; hind head and nape dusky grey, mixed with white; the rest of the upper parts light greyish-blue, excepting the rump, which is white; the primary coverts and quills, as well as the tail-feathers and their coverts, hoary, with the shafts white, but five of the quills dusky on the outer web, on the inner along the shaft, and on the inner margin toward the end. Young, in winter, with the bill somewhat shorter, and more tinged with brown, the lower parts, rump, outer web of lateral tail-feathers, and sides of neck, white; wings as in the adult, but the primaries internally margined with white, and the secondaries tipped with the same; upper part of the head, and the rest of the upper parts, light yellowish-brown, intermixed with greyish-blue; a band of black on the sides of the head, as in the adult.

Adult, 15¹/₂, wing, 10⁸/₁₂.

From Texas to South Carolina. Common. Migratory.

Havell's Tern, Sterna Havelli, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 122.

435. 7. Sterna Trudeaui, Aud. Trudeau's Tern.

Plate CCCCIX. Fig. 2. Adult.

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender; wings a little longer than the tail, which is deeply forked. Bill black, with part of the base of the lower mandible, the edges of both, and their tips to the length of five-twelfths of an inch, yellow; feet orange, claws brown, toward the end yellow; a band of blackish-grey surrounding the eye, and extending toward the nape; fore part of head, cheeks, and upper part of throat, white; the rest of the upper and lower parts light greyish-blue, excepting the axillar feathers, lower wing-coverts, and rump, which are white; tail-coverts and tail greyish-white; primary coverts and quills hoary, but the outer five dusky grey on the inner web, toward the margin, and less so along the shaft, and on the outer web; the shafts of all the quills and tail-feathers white, as are the inner edges of the primaries and tips of the secondaries, the inner excepted. This species has the bill somewhat longer and more slender than that of Havell's Tern, and differently coloured; the tarsus longer, and the lower parts of the body of the same tint as the upper, whereas that species is white beneath.

Adult, 16; wing, 10¹⁰/₁₂.

Great Egg Harbour and Long Island. Rare. Migratory.

Trudeau's Tern, Sterna Trudeaui, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 125.

436. 8. Sterna arctica, Temm. Arctic Tern.

Plate CCL. Male.

Bill about the same length as the head, slender, and with the mouth and feet vermilion, tinged with carmine; wings about two inches shorter than the tail, which is very deeply forked; upper part of head and occiput greenish-black; sides of head and chin white; upper parts pale greyish-blue, the rump bluish-white, the tail and its coverts white, excepting the outer webs of the two lateral feathers, which are dusky grey; primaries dusky towards the ends, the two outer with their outer webs blackish, all with the greater part of the inner web white, secondaries tipped with white; neck, breast, and sides, pale greyish-blue, like the upper parts, but lighter; abdomen, lower tail-coverts, and lower surfaces of wings and tail, white.

Male, 15¹/₂, 32.

Along the coast of the Atlantic in autumn and winter, sometimes as far as New Jersey. Common in Maine, Nova Scotia, and Labrador, where it breeds in multitudes, as well as on the Magdalene Islands, and on the shores of the Arctic Seas. Migratory.

Sterna arctica, Bonap. Syn. p. 354.

Sterna arctica, Arctic Tern, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 414.

Arctic Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 275.

Arctic Tern, Sterna arctica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 366.

437. 9. Sterna Dougallii, Mont. Roseate Tern.

Plate CCXL. Male.

Bill about the same length as the head, slender, brownish-black, deep orange at the base; feet vermilion; wings about three inches shorter than the tail, which is very deeply forked; upper part of the head and occiput bluish-black; hind neck white; the rest of the upper parts pale bluish-grey, the tail lighter; edges of wings, tips and inner edges of quills, and their shafts, white; first quill black on the outer web and part of the inner, the next two similarly marked, but with the black shaded over with pale grey, the loose barbules being of that colour, the other primaries becoming gradually lighter; lower parts of a beautiful roseate hue, soon fading after death; under surface of wings and tail white.

Male, 14¹⁰/₁₂, 30.

Florida Keys, where it is abundant, and breeds. Migratory.

Sterna Dougallii, Mont. Temm.

Roseate Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 278.

Roseate Tern, Sterna Dougallii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 296.

438. 10. Sterna nigra, Linn. Black Tern.

Plate CCLXXX. Adult and Young.

Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, brownish-black; feet reddish-brown; wings two inches longer than the tail, which is merely emarginate; head, neck, breast, sides, and abdomen, greyish-black; lower tail-coverts white, lower wing-coverts bluish-grey; upper parts dark bluish-grey, the outer web of the first quill greyish-black; shafts of quills and tail-feathers white. Young in second plumage with the upper parts greyish-blue, the feathers of the fore part of the back, and especially the scapulars, brown towards the end; the upper and hind part of the head greyish-black, of which there is a darker mark behind and another before the eye; forehead greyish-white, as are the sides of the head, the fore neck, breast, and abdomen; sides dusky grey; lower wing-coverts greyish-white.

Adult, 9, 24. Young, in autumn, 7³/₄; wing, 9⁸/₁₂.

Arrives in Texas from the south early in spring, proceeds along the coast to the Mississippi, then ascends that river and its tributaries, breeding around ponds, or along the streams; and even advances to the Fur Countries, where it also breeds. Abundant. Migratory. Occasionally along the coasts of the Middle Atlantic Districts.

Sterna nigra, Bonap. Syn. p. 355.

Sterna nigra, Black Tern, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 415.

Black Tern or Stern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 282.

Black Tern, Sterna nigra, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 593; v. v. p. 642.

439. 11. Sterna minuta, Linn. Least Tern.

Plate CCCXIX. Adult and Young.

Bill about the length of the head, slender, yellowish-orange, with the tips black, but the extreme points horn-colour; feet light orange-red; wings an inch or more longer than the tail, which is deeply forked; on the forehead a triangular white patch, extending to over the middle of the eye; upper part of head and nape, and loral space, deep black; sides of head, fore neck, and lower parts pure white; back and wings very pale bluish-grey; first two quills with the outer web greyish-black, and rather less than half of their inner web of the same colour, the rest white, extending to about half an inch from their extremities; tail white in summer, of a paler tint than the back at other times. Young, when fledged, with the bill greenish-black, all the lower parts dull greyish-white, as are the upper, including the tail, the hind part of the head streaked with dusky, on the back and rump the feathers with a curved marginal band of greyish-brown; primary quills greyish-brown, the outer two darker; tail even, each feather narrowly margined with greyish-white.

Adult, 8³/₄, 18³/₄.

Breeds from Galveston along the shores to Labrador. Not mentioned as found in the Fur Countries. Returns southward, and passes beyond Texas in autumn. Extremely abundant at times on the Great Lakes, as well as the Ohio and Mississippi.

Least Tern, Sterna minuta, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 80.

Sterna minuta, Bonap. Syn. p. 355.

Silvery Tern, Sterna argentea, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 280.

Least Tern, Sterna minuta, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 175.

* Tail graduated.

440. 12. Sterna stolida, Linn. Noddy Tern.

Plate CCLXXV. Male.

Bill a little longer than the head, rather slender, a little decurved, black; tail cuneate; general colour of plumage sooty-brown; primaries and tail-feathers brownish-black; upper part of head greyish-white; a black spot anterior to and over the eye.

Male, 16⁴/₁₂, 32.

Abundant on the Gulf of Mexico during the whole year. Breeds in vast multitudes on the Tortugas Keys.

Sterna stolida, Bonap. Syn. p. 356.

Noddy, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 285.

Noddy Tern, Sterna stolida, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 516; v. v. p. 642.

GENUS III. LARUS, Linn. GULL.

Bill shorter than the head, nearly straight, moderately stout, compressed; upper mandible with its dorsal outline straight to the middle, then decurved, the ridge convex, the sides rapidly sloping, the edges sharp and direct, the tip rather obtuse; nasal groove rather long and narrow; nostrils submedial, longitudinal, linear-oblong, broader anteriorly; lower mandible, with the angle long and pointed, the outline of its crura decurved anteriorly, that of the ridge slightly concave and ascending, the sides erect, the edge-line decurved toward the tip, which is narrow but obtuse. Head of moderate size, broadly ovate; neck of ordinary length; body compact. Feet rather long or of moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare at the lower part; tarsus moderately compressed, with numerous curved anterior scutella, and smaller behind; toes slender, of moderate length, scutellate; first very small, third a little longer than fourth. Claws small, slightly arched, compressed, rather blunt. Plumage close, soft, blended, on the back and wings rather compact. Wings very long, pointed; first and second quills longest; secondaries broad, the inner more elongated. Tail of moderate length, generally even, rarely rounded or emarginate, of twelve feathers. In those which have the head white in summer, it is streaked with dusky in winter; and those which are hooded in summer, have the head white and slightly streaked in winter.

* Tail emarginate.

441. 1. Larus Sabini, Sabine. Fork-tailed Gull.

Plate CCLXXXV. Fig. 1, Male.

Tail of moderate length, forked; bill of moderate length, rather slender, black, with the terminal third yellow; feet black; head and upper part of neck all round blackish-grey, that colour terminated by a collar of pure black; lower neck all round, the whole lower surface, upper tail-coverts, and tail, pure white; back and wings bluish-grey, excepting a large terminal portion of the secondaries, and the tips of the primaries, which are white, the primaries themselves being black, with their shafts brownish-black.

Male, 13, 33.

Accidental as far south in winter, as New York. Rather common along the coast of Nova Scotia. Breeds in Newfoundland, and along the coasts of the Arctic Seas. Seen on the banks of Newfoundland in great numbers.

Larus Sabini, Fork-tailed Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 428.

Fork-tailed Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 295.

Forked-tailed Gull, Larus Sabini, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 561.

** Tail cuneate.

442. 2. Larus Rossii, Richardson. Ross's Gull.

Not figured.

Tail much rounded, the middle feathers being an inch longer than the lateral; bill of moderate length, slender, black; feet vermilion; head, neck, all round, lower parts, rump and tail, white, the lower parts tinged with pink, which soon fades; a narrow collar of black; fore part of back, scapulars, and both surfaces of wings light greyish-blue; tips of scapulars and secondaries white.

Adult, 14; wing 10¹/₂.

Arctic Seas.

Larus Rossii, Cuneate-tailed Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 427.

Ross's Gull, Larus Rossii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 324.

*** Tail even.

443. 3. Larus Bonapartii, Richardson. Bonaparte's Gull.

Plate CCCXXIV.

Bill slender, black; feet orange, tinged with vermilion; head and upper part of neck all round greyish-black, that colour extending half an inch lower on the throat than on the occiput; a white band divided by a narrow black line margining the eye behind; lower part of neck all round, anterior edge of wing, alular, smaller coverts on the carpal margin, four outer primary coverts, shaft and inner web of outer primary, both webs of second, inner webs of third and fourth, rump, tail, and all the lower parts, white; back, scapulars, and wings light greyish-blue; outer web of first quill, excepting a small portion toward the end, its tips to the length of half an inch, black, as are the ends of the next six, which however have a small tip of white, the black on some of them being an inch long, and running along the inner edge to a considerable extent. Female somewhat smaller, similar to the male, but with the head and upper part of the neck umber-brown. Young in second plumage with the bill greyish-black, the feet flesh-coloured; head and neck greyish-white; a small patch of black behind the eye; upper parts dull bluish-grey, many of the wing-coverts greyish-brown, edged with paler; quills as in the adult; rump and tail white, the latter with a broad band of black at the end, the tips narrowly edged with whitish.

Adult, 14¹/₈, 32¹/₄.

Extremely abundant in winter, on the coast of Florida. Equally plentiful in spring, along the coasts of the Middle and Eastern Districts, especially in the Chesapeake. Breeds from the Bay of Fundy to high latitudes. Not uncommon in autumn, on the Great Lakes, and the Ohio and Mississippi.

Brown-masked Gull, Larus capistratus, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. iv. Female.

Larus capistratus, Bonap. Syn. p. 358.

Larus Bonapartii, Bonapartian Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 425.

Bonapartian Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 294.

Bonapartian Gull, Larus Bonapartii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 212.

444. 4. Larus Atricilla, Linn. Black-headed Gull.—Laughing Gull.

Plate CCCXIV. Male and Young.

Bill moderately stout, and with the feet, margin of eyelids, and inside of mouth deep carmine; wings extending three inches beyond the tail, which is even; head and upper neck all round blackish lead-grey, darker on the upper part of the head and along the posterior margin, which descends lower in front, or to the extent of about two inches and a half from the base of the lower mandible; two narrow white bands bordering the upper and lower eyelids; lower neck all round, the whole lower surface, rump and tail white, but the fore part of the neck and the breast down to the legs, of a beautiful light rosy tint; back and wings greyish-blue, with a slight tinge of purple, excepting a large terminal portion of the secondaries, and the tips of the primaries, which are white; first primary black, with a tinge of grey on the inner web at the base; second and third similar, with the grey more extended; the fourth with it extending over two-thirds, the fifth black only for an inch and a half, on the sixth the black reduced to two spots near the end; the other parts and the remaining primaries of the same general colour as the back. Female similar, but considerably smaller. In winter, the head white, the feathers on its upper part and the nape more or less brownish-grey in their concealed part, that colour appearing in slight patches here and there, and especially along the posterior margin of the part that is coloured in summer, as well as on a small space before the eye; in other respects the plumage as in summer, but without the rosy tint. Young, when fledged, with the bill, feet, inside of mouth, and edges of eyelids olivaceous brown; upper parts brownish-grey, the feathers edged with paler; hind part of back light bluish-grey; upper tail-coverts nearly white; tail pale greyish-blue, with a broad band of brownish-black at the end, the extreme tips narrowly edged with white, the outer margin of the lateral feathers of the same colour; the first four primaries destitute of white at the tip; a small patch before the eye, two slight bands on the eyelids, and the throat, greyish-white; lower part of neck brownish-grey; the rest of the lower parts greyish-white, the sides darker, the axillars ash-grey, lower surface of wing dusky grey.

Adult, 17, 40³/₄.

Most abundant from Texas to Massachusetts, breeding along the coast. Up the Mississippi to New Orleans. Those which in spring remove to the eastward of the Floridas return early in autumn.

Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ix. p. 89.

Larus atricilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 359.

Black-headed Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 291.

Black-headed or Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 118.

445. 5. Larus Franklinii, Richardson. Franklin's Rosy Gull.

Not figured.

"Bill rather stout, and with the feet vermilion; mantle pearl-grey; wings an inch and a half longer than the tail, which is even; five exterior quills barred with black, the first one tipped with white for an inch; tarsus twenty lines long; hood black in summer. Both eyelids, the neck, rump, tail, and whole under plumage white, the latter and interior of the wings deeply tinged with peach-blossom red; black hood covering three-quarters of an inch of the nape, and extending as much lower on the throat; mantle and wings bluish-grey; the outer web of the first quill-feathers is black to near the top, and a broad band of the same crosses the ends of the five outer primaries; all the quill-feathers are terminated with white, that of the first primary and of all the secondaries being upwards of an inch long; all the shafts whitish."

Male, 17, wing, 11.

Interior of Fur Countries, breeding on the edges of large lakes.

Larus Franklinii, Franklin's Rosy Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii p. 424.

Franklin's Rosy Gull, Larus Franklinii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 323.

446. 6. Larus tridactylus, Linn. Kittiwake Gull.

Plate CCXXIV. Adult and Young.

Bill moderately stout, greenish-yellow; feet black, with the hind toe rudimentary, and furnished with a minute knob in place of the claw; head, neck, rump, tail, and lower parts pure white; back and upper surface of wings light greyish-blue; the first five quills black at the end, the first on its outer web also; the fifth with a small white tip; the tips of all the other quills more or less white. Young in its second plumage with the bill and feet black; hind head and neck bluish-grey; a semilunar blackish mark before the eye; tips of auriculars dark grey; forehead, sides of head, throat, and lower parts, white, as are the rump and tail, the latter with a broad terminal band of black; mantle bluish-grey, with a broad band of black crossing the lower part of the hind neck; larger wing-coverts of the same colour toward the end; primary quills black, more or less margined with white internally.

Adult, 18, 36¹/₂.

Common as far south as New York. Abundant from Massachusetts eastward. Breeds from the Bay of Fundy northward.

Larus tridactylus, Bonap. Syn. p. 359.

Larus tridactylus, Kittiwake, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 423.

Kittiwake, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 298.

Kittiwake Gull, Larus tridactylus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 186.

447. 7. Larus eburneus, Gmel. Ivory Gull.

Plate CCLXXXVII.

Bill moderately stout, yellow, feet black; wings an inch and a half longer than the tail; plumage pure white. After the second moult, the bill dusky for two-thirds, yellow at the end, feet black; plumage white, the forehead and sides of the head mottled with leaden-grey, most of the wing-coverts with, a greyish-black spot towards the end; the quills, large coverts, and tail-feathers similarly marked, the markings on the tail forming a subterminal bar.

Adult, 19, 41.

Accidental on the coast of the United States. Common in winter in Labrador and Newfoundland. Breeds in high latitudes.

Larus eburneus, Bonap. Syn. p. 360.

Larus eburneus, Ivory Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer.

Ivory Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 301.

Ivory Gull, Larus eburneus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 571.

448. 8. Larus zonorhynchus, Richardson. Ring-billed Gull.—Common American Gull.

Plate CCXII. Adult and Young.

Bill stout, compressed, greenish-yellow, with a broad band of black opposite the prominence; wings two inches and a half longer than the tail; feet greenish-yellow; general colour of the plumage pure white, excepting the back and upper surface of the wings, which are light greyish-blue; the first-six quills black towards their extremities, the first and second being almost entirely so, the sixth with only a small spot; the tips of these feathers white, the first moreover with a long patch of white, over its whole breadth, the second with a smaller patch, not occupying the entire breadth, sometimes confined to the inner web, the other quills white at the end. Young after second moult with the bill black, the feet purplish-grey; general colour of plumage dull white, mottled with greyish-brown beneath, on the back with large brownish-black spots, the dark markings being central; anterior to the eye a crescent of greyish-black; outer primary quills black, terminally edged with white.

Adult, 20, 48.

Common during winter from Texas, along the coast, to Maine. Up the Mississippi to Natchez. Breeds from Maine to Labrador, Hudson's Bay, and Arctic shores. Columbia River. Migratory.

Larus canus, Mew or Common Gull, Rich. & Swains. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 420.

Larus zonorhynchus, Ring-billed Mew-Gull, Ibid. p. 421.

Larus brachyrhynchus, Short-billed Mew-Gull, Ibid. p. 422.

Ring-billed Mew-Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 300.

Common American Gull, Larus zonorhynchus. Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 98; v. v. p. 638.

449. 9. Larus leucopterus, Fabr. White-winged Silvery Gull.

Plate CCLXXXII. Adult and Young.

Bill stout, gamboge-yellow, with a spot of orange-red near the end of the lower mandible; angle of the mouth and edges of eyelids orange-red; feet pale flesh-colour; wings more than two inches longer than the tail; plumage pure white, excepting the back and upper surface of the wings, which are light greyish-blue; the tips of the secondaries, the terminal third of the primaries, and the upper tail-coverts, also white. Young in second plumage with the bill yellow, tipped with black, the feet yellowish flesh-colour; plumage yellowish-grey, marked on the head and neck with longitudinal streaks of pale brown, on the back and wings with transverse undulations, those on the tail much fainter; the first six quills destitute of markings.

Adult, 26, 50.

During winter from New York to Nova Scotia. Not rare. Breeds on the islands and peninsulas of the Arctic Seas.

Larus leucopterus, Bonap. Syn. p. 361.

Larus leucopterus, White-winged Silvery Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 418.

White-winged Silvery Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 305.

White-winged Silvery Gull, Larus leucopterus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 553.

450. 10. Larus occidentalis, Aud. Western Gull.

Not figured.

Bill robust, compressed, yellow, with an orange-red patch toward the end of the lower mandible; iris light hazel; feet flesh-coloured; head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail pure white; back and wings light greyish-blue, of a deeper tint than in L. argentatus; edges of the wings and extremities of the quills white; first seven quills greyish-black toward the end, that colour including the outer webs and the greater part of the inner of the two first, and on the rest gradually diminishing, so as on the seventh merely to form a subterminal bar; the first quill with a patch of white on both webs near the end; the tips of all white. Young male in winter with the bill black, feet flesh-coloured; upper part and sides of the head, hind part and sides of the neck, light brownish-grey, faintly mottled and streaked with white; upper parts in general greyish-brown, confusedly mottled with whitish; rump white barred with brown; primary quills greyish-black, without white at the end; secondary quills similar, more grey toward the base, margined and tipped with white, undulated with brown; tail greyish-black, tipped with whitish; lower parts greyish-white, mottled with greyish-brown. This species, which is very intimately allied to Larus argentatus, is remarkable for the great depth and comparative shortness of its bill.

Male, 27, wing 17¹/₄, but the feathers not complete.

Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 320.

451. 11. Larus argentatus, Brunnich. Herring or Silvery Gull.

Plate CCXCI. Adult and Young.

Bill robust, compressed, gamboge-yellow, with an orange-red patch toward the end of the lower mandible; iris silvery-white; feet flesh-coloured; head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail pure white; back and wings light greyish-blue; edges of wing and extremities of quills white; the first six quills brownish-black towards the end, that colour including the outer webs and the greater part of the inner of the first two, and on the rest gradually diminishing, so as on the sixth merely to form a bar; the first quill with a patch of white about an inch and a half long on both webs near the end, the second with a circular patch on the inner web; the tips of all white. The terminal markings of the outer quills vary. Young with the bill brownish-black, paler at the base of the lower mandible, feet purplish flesh-colour; general colour of plumage light purplish-grey, the upper part of the head darker, the lower parts mottled with pale yellowish-grey; feathers of upper parts and upper tail-coverts irregularly edged and barred with greyish-white; primary quills greyish-black, terminally margined with whitish; tail of the same colour, its base and the outer webs of the lateral feathers irregularly mottled with whitish, the tips brownish-white.

Male, 23, 53. Young, in winter, 18³/₄, 51.

Abundant in autumn, winter, and early spring, from Texas along the whole Atlantic coast to Newfoundland. Breeds from the Bay of Fundy to Melville Island. Common in autumn on the Great Lakes, the Ohio, and Mississippi.

Larus argentatus, Bonap. Syn. p. 360.

Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 304.

Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 588; v. v. p. 638.

452. 12. Larus glaucus, Brunn. Glaucous Gull.—Burgomaster.

Plate CCCXCVI. Adult and Young.

Bill stout, compressed, gamboge yellow, with a carmine patch toward the end of the lower mandible; iris yellow; feet flesh-coloured; second quill slightly longer than the first; tail slightly rounded; head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail pure white; back and wings light greyish-blue; the edges of the wing and a large portion of all the quills toward the end, white. Young when fledged with the bill yellow, in its terminal third black; feet flesh-coloured; plumage very pale yellowish-brown, the feathers of the upper parts with a large dusky spot toward the end, the quills and tail-feathers barred with the same.

Adult, 30; wing, 19¹/₂.

Met with in Labrador in summer. Baffin's Bay and Arctic Seas generally. Not observed within the limits of the United States.

Larus glaucus, Bonap. Syn. p. 361.

Larus glaucus, Burgomaster Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 416.

Glaucous Gull or Burgomaster, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 306.

Glaucous Gull or Burgomaster, Larus glaucus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 59.

453. 13. Larus marinus, Linn. Great Black-backed Gull.

Plate CCXLI. Male.

Bill robust, compressed, gamboge yellow, with a patch of carmine toward the end of the lower mandible, feet flesh-coloured; head, neck, lower parts, rump and tail, pure white; back and wings deep blackish-purple or dark slate-colour; edges of wing and a large portion of the extremities of all the quills white; the second, third, fourth, and fifth primaries with a broad band of black across their ends. Young when fledged with the bill brownish-black, the iris dark brown, the feet as in the adult; the head and neck greyish-white, streaked with pale brownish-grey; upper parts mottled with brownish-black, brownish-grey, and dull white, the rump paler; primary quills blackish-brown, slightly tipped with brownish-white; tail-feathers white, with a large brownish-black patch towards the end, larger on the middle feathers, which are also barred towards the base with dusky; lower parts greyish-white, sides and lower tail-coverts obscurely mottled with greyish-brown.

Male, 29¹/₂, 67.

Not uncommon during winter as far south as Florida, the young especially. Common from New York to Labrador, where it breeds. Lake Erie, Ontario, the St Lawrence, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers. Columbia River.

Larus marinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 225.

Black-backed Gull or Cobb, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 308.

Great Black-billed Gull, Larus marinus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 305; v. v. p. 636.

FAMILY XLIII. PROCELLARINÆ. FULMARS.

Bill generally shorter than the head, moderately stout, compressed; upper mandible with the ridge formed of two generally united plates, at the anterior part of which, usually about half the length of the bill, are the nostrils; the sides separated by a groove, the tip a decurved, compressed, pointed unguis; lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the tip more or less decurved. Head of moderate size, ovate; neck of moderate length; body compact. Feet of ordinary length, rather slender; tibia bare below for a short space; tarsus little compressed, anteriorly scutellate; toes four, the first extremely small and elevated, with a conical deflected claw; anterior toes webbed; the third and fourth nearly equal. Claws arched, compressed, acute. Plumage full, soft, rather compact above. Wings long, rather broad, pointed, the first quill generally longest. Tail short, of from twelve to sixteen feathers. Œsophagus very wide, often enormously dilated, especially at its lower part, stomach small, moderately muscular; intestine of moderate length; cœca rather long; cloaca oblong or globular. Trachea simple, with a single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles.

GENUS I. LESTRIS, Illiger. JAGER.

Bill shorter than the head, strong, slightly compressed, straight, with the tip curved; upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, toward the tip decurved, the ridge broad and convex, formed by two plates, which overlap the nostrils, the sides narrow and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip or unguis decurved, compressed, acute; nasal groove long, narrow; the nostrils in its fore part medial, lateral, longitudinal, broad before, extremely narrow behind, open and pervious; lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond which the dorsal line is slightly concave, the sides erect, and slightly convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely truncate. Head rather large; neck of moderate length; body rather full. Feet of moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare at its lower part, and rough all round, with small convex scales; tarsus compressed behind and scabrous, anteriorly scutellate; hind toe extremely small and elevated; fore toes of moderate size, connected by convex webs, the third toe longest, the fourth little shorter. Claws strong, much curved, very acute, compressed. Plumage full, soft, blended, on the back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, pointed, the first quill longest. Tail of moderate length, or elongated, of twelve feathers, of which the middle are longest. Tongue broadly channelled above, contracted and induplicate toward the end, with the point slit; œsophagus very wide; stomach small, moderately muscular, with the epithelium thin, dense, and longitudinally rugous; intestine rather short and wide; cœca rather long; cloaca oblong.

454. 1. Lestris pomarinus, Temm. Pomarine Jager.

Plate CCLIII. Adult Female.

Tail of moderate length, rounded, but with the two middle broad rounded feathers extending an inch beyond the next; bill dull green, toward the end dusky; tibia, toes, webs, and lower half of tarsus black, the upper half light blue; upper part and sides of head anteriorly brownish-black; upper part of neck all round yellowish-white; the rest of the neck white, barred with brownish-black, each feather having two transverse bands of that colour; breast white; sides, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts white, barred with brownish-black, as are the upper tail-coverts; back and wings brownish-black; primary quills of the same colour, white on the inner webs toward the base, as are the secondaries and tail-feathers; lower surface of wings mottled and barred with white and dusky.

Female, 20¹/₄, 48.

From Massachusetts northward. Seen in Labrador. Breeds in high northern latitudes.

Lestris pomarina, Bonap. Syn. p. 364.

Lestris pomarina, Pomarine Jager, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 429.

Pomarine Jager, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 315.

Pomarine Jager, Lestris pomarinus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 396; v. v. p. 643.

455. 2. Lestris Richardsonii, Swains. Richardson's Jager.

Plate CCLXXII. Male and Young.

Male with the bill greyish-black, tinged with blue above; feet black; tail-feathers of moderate length, except the middle two, which extend about three inches beyond the rest, and taper to a point; plumage sooty-brown; the upper part of the head, primary quills, and tail darker; cheeks and sides of neck dull yellow; fore part of neck and breast white. Female similar, but without white on the neck and breast, those parts being merely of a lighter brown. Young, when fledged, with the bill light blue, dusky at the end; tarsi and basal portion of the toes and webs light blue, the rest black; general colour of the plumage sooty-brown, lighter on the neck and lower parts, feathers of the back and wings all marginally tipped with whitish; breast, sides, lower wing-coverts, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, undulatingly barred with pale greyish-yellow.

Male, 18¹/₂, 40. Young, in September, 15¹/₂; wing, 11¹/₂.

Coast of Massachusetts and Maine, during winter. Breeds in the northern barren grounds, away from the coast.

Lestris Richardsonii, Richardson's Jager, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 433.

Richardson's Jager, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 319.

Richardson's Jager, Lestris Richardsonii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 503.

456. 3. Lestris parasiticus, Linn. Arctic Jager.

Plate CCLXVII.

Bill greyish-black, tinged with blue above; feet black, but with the greater part of the tarsus yellow; tail-feathers of moderate length, except the two middle, which are extremely elongated and attenuated, extending eight inches or more beyond the next, the rest broad and rounded; neck and lower parts white, the former tinged with yellow; upper and fore part of head, with the space before the cheeks, blackish-brown; lower part of hind neck, and all the upper parts, blackish-grey; primary quills and tail-feathers brownish-black, the shafts of the former white. Female similar to the male, but with the middle tail-feathers about three inches shorter.

Male, 23, 45.

Ranges, during winter, along and off the coast, though always in sight of land, as far as the Gulf of Mexico. Breeds in high latitudes.

Lestris Buffonii, Bonap. Syn. p. 364.

Lestris parasitica, Arctic Jager, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 430.

Arctic Jager, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 317.

Arctic Jager, Lestris parasiticus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 470.

GENUS II. DIOMEDEA, Linn. ALBATROSS.

Bill rather longer than the head, nearly straight, stout, much compressed; upper mandible, with its dorsal line, much declinate, and nearly straight for a third of its length, then concave ascending to the unguis, on which it is arched and decurved in the third of a circle, the ridge broad, convex, rounded at the base, separated in its whole length by a groove, margined below, beyond the nostrils by a prominent line, from the sides, which are erect and slightly convex, the edges sharp, the unguis decurved, much compressed, with its sides flattened, and the tip acute; nostrils subbasal, prominent, tabular, having a horny sheath; lower mandible with the angle very narrow, reaching to the tip, and having at its extremity a long slender interposed horny process; the outline of the crura gently ascending, and quite straight, until near the end, when it is a little decurved, the sides ascending, nearly erect, a little convex, the edges sharp, the tip extremely compressed, its upper edges decurved. Head rather large, ovate; neck of moderate length; body full. Feet rather short, stoutish; tibia bare, below scaly; tarsus roundish, reticulated; toes three, long, slender, outer very little shorter than middle, scaly for half their length, then scutellate. Claws rather small, slender, slightly arched, somewhat obtuse. Plumage full, soft, blended, but rather fine, somewhat compact above. Wings very long, and very narrow, the humerus and cubitus extremely elongated; first quill longest. Tail of twelve broadly rounded feathers, short, rounded.

457. 1. Diomedea chlororhynchos, Gmel. Yellow-nosed Albatross.

Not figured.

Bill much compressed, its ridge convex in its whole length, but with its basal outline, although semicircular, only half an inch in extent, so that between its margins and those of the sides of the bill, there is behind the nostrils a space nearly a quarter of an inch in breadth; the ridge in its whole length, the tip of the upper mandible, and the crura of the lower along their inferior edge, yellow, the rest black; feet yellow; head and neck ash-grey; the fore part of the back shaded into blackish-grey; wings entirely brownish-black, shafts of primaries white, toward the end brownish-black; hind part of back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white; tail deep grey, the bases and shafts of the feathers white, loral space of a darker grey than the rest of the head, that colour deepening at the fore part of the eye, forming a spot which includes the whole of the upper eyelid, and the anterior half the lower, of which the other half is white; lower half of the neck anteriorly, breast, sides, abdomen, lower tail-coverts, some of the axillaries, and the larger wing-coverts white; the others being brownish-black.

Length, 37; wing, 21; bill, 5¹/₄; tail, 8¹/₄.

Pacific Ocean, not far from Columbia River.

Diomedea chlororhynchos, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 326.

458. 3. Diomedea nigripes, Aud. Black-footed Albatross.

Not figured.

Bill brownish-black, moderately compressed, its ridge very broad and convex at the base, its basal outline semicircular and two inches in extent, so that its sides behind overlap and obliterate the sutural space behind the nostrils; feet black; fore part of head, cheeks and throat light dusky-grey, the capistral feathers nearly white, as is a small patch at the posterior angle of the eye; upper part of head, hind neck, and all the upper parts, including the wings and tail, sooty-brown tinged with grey, as are the lower surface of the wings and the axillaries; lower parts dull grey, deeper on the fore parts and sides of the neck.

Length, 36; wings, 21; bill, 5; tail, 3.

Pacific Ocean, off California.

Black-footed Albatross, Diomedea nigripes, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 327.

459. 2. Diomedea fusca, Aud. Dusky Albatross.

Plate CCCCVII. Adult.

Bill black, much compressed, its ridge carinate, with its basal outline running up on the forehead into a very acute angle, lower mandible with a groove on each side in its whole length, as far as the unguis; feet yellow; head and upper part of the neck greyish-black, tinged with brown, the rest of the neck, all the lower parts, the back and rump light brownish-grey, scapulars darker, wings brownish-black, primary quills and tail-feathers greyish-black with white shafts; eyelids narrowly margined with white feathers, their anterior part excepted.

Adult, length, 34; wing, 21; tail, 11; bill, 4¹⁰/₁₂.

Off the Columbia River.

Dusky Albatross, Diomedea fusca, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 116.

GENUS III. PROCELLARIA, Linn. FULMAR.

Bill of about the length of the head, or somewhat shorter, robust, straight, moderately compressed, with the tip decurved; upper mandible with the nostrils dorsal, separated by a thin septum, covered by an elevated horny case, and opening directly forwards, the ridge nearly straight or concave in its outline, laterally sloping or convex, separated by a groove from the sides, which are erect and convex, the edges sharp, inflected, and in their outline slightly recurved from the base to the unguis, which is strong, decurved, and acute; lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, acute, the sides erect, with a groove in their whole length, the edges sharp and direct, the very short dorsal line ascending and slightly concave, the edges decurved at the end. Head rather large, ovate; neck rather short; body full. Feet of moderate length, stout; tibia bare for a short space below; tarsus a little compressed, reticulated with angular scales; hind toe a slight prominence with a conical claw; fore toes long, slender, scutellate, connected by striated even webs; fourth toe slightly shorter than third. Claws moderate, arched, compressed, rather acute. Plumage full, close, elastic, rather compact above. Wings very long, narrow, the first quill longest. Tail short, or of moderate length, of from twelve to sixteen feathers.

* Bill robust; tail of more than twelve feathers.

460. 1. Procellaria gigantea, Linn. Gigantic Fulmar.

Not figured.

Bill longer than the head, nasal plate carinate, very slightly concave above, yellow, as are the feet; tail of sixteen feathers; general colour of plumage a deep brown tinged with grey, lighter on the lower parts, and especially on the lower surface of the wings.

Length, 36; tail, 7¹/₂; bill, 4.

Off the Columbia River.

Gigantic Fulmar, Procellaria gigantea, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 330.

461. 2. Procellaria glacialis, Linn. Common Fulmar.

Plate CCLXIV. Male.

Bill shorter than the head, moderately compressed, with the nasal plate flattened concave above; tail slightly rounded, of fourteen feathers; bill, feet, and claws yellow; head, neck, and lower parts, pure white; back and wings light greyish-blue, the rump paler, the tail bluish-white; primary quills and coverts blackish-brown. Young in first plumage greyish-brown.

Male, 8, 18.

Not uncommon off the coast, from New York to Nova Scotia. Abundant on the banks of Newfoundland. Breeds in high latitudes.

Procellaria glacialis, Bonap. Syn. p. 369.

Fulmar Petrel, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 330.

Fulmar Petrel, Procellaria glacialis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 446.

462. 3. Procellaria pacifica, Aud. Pacific Fulmar.

Not figured.

Bill shorter than the head, considerably compressed, with the nasal plate carinate and almost straight; tail rounded, of fourteen feathers; bill and feet yellow; head, neck, and lower parts pure white; back and wings light greyish-blue, but most of the feathers, including those of the tail, becoming dark grey toward the end; primary quills and their coverts blackish-brown tinged with grey. Differs from P. glacialis chiefly in the form of the bill.

Adult, 18; wing, 12³/₄; tail, 4³/₄; bill, 1³/₄.

North west coast of America. Abundant.

Pacific Fulmar, Procellaria pacifica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 331.

463. 4. Procellaria tenuirostris, Aud. Slender-billed Fulmar.

Not figured.

Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, much compressed, with the nasal plate somewhat carinate and concave; tail much rounded, of fourteen feathers; bill yellow, with the nasal plate, half of the unguis of the upper mandible, and the tip of the lower black; feet yellow, claws brownish-black; plumage greyish-blue, paler on the lower parts, neck, and head; primary quills and their coverts blackish-grey. Differs from the last chiefly in the form and colour of the bill.

Length, 18¹/₂; wing, 13; tail, 5; bill, 2¹/₁₂.

Off the Columbia River. Common.

Slender-billed Fulmar, Procellaria tenuirostris, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 333.

GENUS IV. PUFFINUS, Briss. SHEARWATER.

Bill of the length of the head, rather slender, nearly as deep as broad at the base, much compressed toward the end, nearly straight, being slightly recurved, with the tips decurved; upper mandible with a cere at the base, extending narrow to the nostrils, which are dorsal, each covered with a lateral convex plate, and opening anteriorly, with an elliptical aperture, dorsal line as far as the nostrils nearly straight, then suddenly deflected, afterwards slightly concave, towards the end decurved, the ridge very broad and convex at the base, narrower beyond the nostrils, from which a groove runs obliquely on each side, sides convex, nearly erect, edges sharp, tip or unguis strong, decurved, much compressed, very acute; lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line beyond it decurved, the sides sloping outwards, the edges sharp and inflected, the unguis decurved, acute. Head rather large, oblong; neck rather short; body moderate. Feet rather large; tibia bare for a short space below; tarsus of moderate length, compressed, reticulated with angular scales; hind toe obsolete, but with a small conical deflected claw; fore toes long, slender, connected by webs; outer toe slightly longer than third. Claws arched, compressed, acute. Plumage full, close, elastic, rather compact above. Wings very long, narrow, the first quill longest. Tail of moderate length, graduated, of twelve rounded feathers.

464. 1. Puffinus cinereus, Lath. Wandering Shearwater.

Plate CCLXXXIII. Male.

Bill yellowish-green, with the tips brownish-black; feet light greenish-grey, webs and claws yellowish flesh-colour; upper parts deep brown, the hind neck paler, and tinged with grey; primary quills and tail brownish-black; lower parts greyish-white, lower wing-coverts white, those next to the edge of the wing greyish-black towards the end, axillary feathers white, greyish-brown toward the end, lower tail-coverts similar.

Male, 20, 45.

Common off the shores, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to that of Mexico. Abundant off Nova Scotia. Ranges to a great distance at sea in autumn and winter.

Puffinus cinereus, Bonap. Syn. p. 370.

Cinereous Puffin, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 334.

Wandering Shearwater, Puffinus cinereus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 555.

465. 2. Puffinus Anglorum, Ray. Manks Shearwater.

Plate CCXCV.

Bill deep greenish-black; inner and middle of outer side of tibia dull orange, the rest greenish-black, as are the fourth toe and outer side of the third, the inner side of the latter and the whole of the second dull orange, webs pale yellow; upper parts brownish-black, lower white.

Adult, 15, 32.

Not uncommon off the coast of Maine during summer. Breeds on Sable Island, off Nova Scotia. Ranges, at times, to great distances seaward.

Puffinus anglorum, Bonap. Syn. p. 371.

Shearwater Petrel, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 336.

Manks Shearwater, Puffinus anglorum, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 604.

466. 3. Puffinus obscurus, Lath. Dusky Shearwater.

Plate CCXCIX. Male.

Bill light blue, the tips black; outside of tarsus and toes indigo-black, inside and webs pale yellowish flesh-colour; upper parts sooty-black, lower pure white.

Male, 11, 26.

Abundant during summer in the Gulf of Mexico, and off the coast eastward to Georgia. Some wander as far as Long Island.

Puffinus obscurus, Bonap. Syn. p. 371.

Dusky Petrel, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 337.

Dusky Petrel, Puffinus obscurus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 620.

GENUS V. THALASSIDROMA, Vigors. PETREL.

Bill shorter than the head, slender, as high as broad at the base, extremely compressed at the end; upper mandible with the nostrils dorsal forming a tube on its ridge at the base, on which the dorsal line is concave and ascending, then abrupt, afterwards, for a short space, straight, and lastly decurved, the sides separated by a groove, convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip decurved, slender, acute; lower mandible with the angle rather long, narrow, and pointed, the dorsal line beyond it decurved, the sides erect, the edges sharp, the tip decurved, acute. Head of moderate size, rounded above; neck short; body rather slender. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare at its lower part; tarsus slender, reticulate; hind toe minute, with a conical deflected claw; anterior toes of moderate length, slender, scutellate, webbed, the third and fourth about equal. Claws slender, arched, compressed, acute. Plumage very soft and blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings, which are very long, with the primaries a little incurved toward the end, the second longest, the first and fourth about equal; tail emarginate or even, of twelve feathers. Tongue much flattened, tapering to a horny point; œsophagus wide, within the thorax enormously distended, and with the proventriculus forming an ovate sac, which is recurved; stomach very small; intestine short, of moderate width; cœca small; cloaca globular.

467. 1. Thalassidroma Leachii, Temm. Leach's Petrel.—Fork-tailed Petrel.

Plate CCLX. Male and Female.

Tail forked; bill and feet black; plumage dark greyish-brown; quills and tail brownish-black; smaller wing-coverts and inner secondaries light greyish-brown; rump, sides of abdomen, and outer lower tail-coverts white; upper tail-coverts also white, but with a terminal black band.

Male, 8, 18¹/₂.

Common on the Banks of Newfoundland, and at times off the coast of Massachusetts, Maine, and Nova Scotia. Breeds on the shores of Baffin's Bay.

Thalassidroma Leachii, Bonap. Syn. p. 367.

Fork-tailed Stormy Petrel, Thalassidroma Leachii, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 326.

Forked-tailed Petrel, Thalassidroma Leachii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 434.

468. 2. Thalassidroma Wilsonii, Bonap. Wilson's Petrel.—Mother Carey's Chicken.

Plate CCLXX. Male and Female.

Tail even; bill and feet black, but the webs yellow, unless at the margin; plumage dark greyish-brown; quills and tail brownish-black; outer secondary wing-coverts and some of the secondary quills light greyish-brown, and tipped with white; rump, sides of abdomen, and outer lower tail-coverts, white.

Male, 7¹/₄, 15³/₄.

Wanders from the Gulf of Mexico, off the whole Atlantic coast to Baffin's Bay, and often almost across the ocean towards Europe. Breeds in vast numbers from Maine to Baffin's Bay.

Stormy Petrel, Procellaria pelagica, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 90.

Thalassidroma Wilsonii, Bonap. Syn. p. 367.

Wilson's Stormy Petrel, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 322.

Wilson's Petrel, Thalassidroma Wilsonii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 486; v. v. p. 645.

469. 3. Thalassidroma pelagica, Linn. Least Petrel.—Mother Carey's Chicken.

Plate CCXI.

Tail slightly rounded; bill and feet black; general colour of the upper parts greyish-black, with a tinge of brown; lower parts sooty-brown; secondary coverts margined externally with dull greyish-white; feathers of rump and upper tail-coverts white, with the shafts black, the tail-coverts broadly tipped with black.

Male, 5³/₄, 13¹/₂.

Not uncommon on the Banks of Newfoundland. Not observed to breed on the American coast.

Stormy Petrel, Thalassidroma pelagica, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 327.

Least Petrel, Thalassidroma pelagica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 310.

FAMILY XLIV. ALCINÆ. AUKS.

Bill not longer than the head, much compressed, generally very high, in the species approaching the next family rather slender. Nostrils small, linear, basal, and submarginal. Head large, broadly ovate, anteriorly narrowed; neck short and thick; body full, compact, ovate, or somewhat elongated. Feet short, rather stout, placed far behind; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly scutellate; toes three, of moderate length, scutellate, webbed. Claws strong, arched, acute. Plumage dense, blended, soft. Wings small, narrow, pointed. Tail very short. Tongue slender, trigonal; œsophagus very wide, within the thorax extremely dilated; stomach rather large, muscular, with the epithelium dense and longitudinally rugous; intestine long and wide; cœca of moderate size. Trachea simple, with a single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles. Egg generally single.

GENUS I. MORMON, Illiger. PUFFIN.

Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, exceedingly compressed, at the base as high as the head, obliquely furrowed on the sides; upper mandible with a horny dotted rim along the basal margin; its dorsal line decurved from the base, the ridge narrow, at the base rounded, the sides rapidly sloped, with three or four curved oblique grooves, the edges sharp, their outline nearly straight, the tip deflected, very narrow, but obtuse; lower mandible with the angle very narrow, and so placed, that the base of the bill is inflected beyond the perpendicular, the dorsal line a little convex at first, towards the end ascending, and nearly straight, the sides perpendicular, the edges sharp; the tip very narrow, obliquely truncate; gape-line extending downwards a little beyond the base of the bill, and furnished with a soft corrugated extensile membrane. Nostrils marginal, linear, direct, in the horny part of the bill. Head large, roundish-ovate; neck short and thick; body full and rounded. Feet short, rather stout, placed far behind; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus very short, little compressed, anteriorly with a series of small scutella; toes three, connected by entire webs, the outer and middle toes nearly equal. Claws strong, of moderate length, arched, acute, that of the inner toe much curved. Plumage close, blended, soft. Wings short, narrow, curved, acute; the first quill longest; secondaries short and rounded. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of sixteen feathers.

470. 1. Mormon cirrhatus, Lath. Tufted Puffin.

Plate CCXLIX. Male.

Bill with four curved grooves on the upper mandible anterior to the nostrils, the lower smooth, a horny subcylindrical addition to the ridge at the base about an inch in length, the colour yellowish-red, the basal rim and ridge towards the end of the upper mandible bright red; feet bright red; two tufts of loose, acuminate, decurved feathers on the sides of the head behind the eye; face white; upper parts brownish-black, glossed with blue, lower sooty-brown, tinged with grey on the abdomen; part of the sides and under wing-coverts greyish-brown.

Male, 15, 22¹/₂.

Extremely rare and accidental on the coast of the United States in winter. Common in the Arctic Seas, and on the north-west coast of America.

Alca cirrhata, Lath. Ind. Orn. v. ii. p. 791.

Mormon cirrhatus, Bonap. Syn. p. 429.

Tufted Mormon or Puffin, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 539.

Tufted Puffin, Mormon cirrhatus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 364.

471. 2. Mormon glacialis, Leach. Large-billed Puffin.

Plate CCXCIII. Male.

Bill with three curved grooves on each of the mandibles toward the end, a compressed addition to the ridge about three-quarters of an inch long, its colour, and that of the feet, orange-yellow; on the upper eyelid an oblong, tapering, horny body, directed upwards and backwards, on the lower an adherent linear body of the same nature; sides of the head, and the lower parts, white; upper part of head light brownish-grey, tinged with lilac; a broad collar extending to the lower mandible; of a dark greyish-brown tint below, gradually passing into the colour of the upper parts, which is brownish-black, glossed with blue; primary quills and their coverts blackish-brown; part of the sides and under wing-coverts greyish-brown.

Male, 13, 24¹/₂.

Very rare, and in winter only, off the Bay of Fundy.

Mormon glacialis, Bonap. Syn. p. 430.

Large-billed Puffin, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 541.

Large-billed Puffin, Mormon glacialis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 599.

472. 3. Mormon Arcticus, Linn. Common or Arctic Puffin.

Plate CCXIII. Male and Female.

Bill with three curved grooves on both mandibles toward the end, a very slight addition to the ridge at the base only a quarter of an inch long; the basal rim and first ridge of both mandibles dull yellow, the intervening space greyish-blue, the rest bright red; on the upper eyelid a flattened triangular nearly erect horny body, and along the lower an adherent elongated body of the same nature; feet vermilion; throat and sides of the head greyish-white; upper parts of the head greyish-black, tinged with blue; the middle of the neck all round, and all the upper parts deep black, glossed with blue, the quills tinged with brown; under parts white, except the upper part of the sides, which are dusky, and the lower wing-coverts, which are brownish-grey.

Male, 11³/₄, 23.

Ranges southward along the coast in winter, at times as far as Georgia. Less rare from Long Island eastward, and becomes plentiful 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, Aud. 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 medial 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 slightly 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 ten or twelve grooves; wings diminutive, much pointed, the primaries tapering to an acute point, the first longest, secondaries broad, scarcely longer than their coverts; tail short, of fourteen feathers; bill black, with the grooves white; feet black; head, neck, and upper parts black, the throat and sides of the neck tinged with chocolate-brown, the wings with greyish-brown, the head, hind neck, and back glossed with olive-green; fore part of neck below and all the lower parts white, as are a large oblong patch before each eye, and the tips of the secondary quills.

Adult, 29, 27¹/₄.

Rare and accidental on the Banks of Newfoundland; said to breed on a rock near that island.

Great Auk, Alca impennis, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 553.

Great Auk, Alca impennis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 316.

474. 2. Alca Torda, Linn. Razor-billed Auk.

Plate CCXIV. Male and Female.

Bill rather shorter than the head, with its dorsal line very convex, upper mandible with five, lower with four grooves, black with a white band across each mandible; feet black; head, neck, and upper parts black, the head, hind neck, and back glossed with olive-green, the throat and sides of the neck tinged with chocolate, the wings with brown; lower part of neck below and all the lower parts white, as are a line from the eye to the bill on each side, and the tips of the secondaries. Female similar. Young, in the winter, with the colours similar, but the back duller, the wings more brown, the throat and sides of the head mottled with white, and the bill much smaller, without furrows or white line. Old birds, in winter, with the throat and sides of the neck mottled with white, but in other respects the colouring as in summer.

Male, 17, 29¹/₂.

Rare on the eastern coast of the United States, and only during winter. Breeds in great numbers on the Gannet Rock in the Gulf of St Lawrence, on the shores of Newfoundland, and the western coast of Labrador, chiefly in the fissures of rocks.

Alca Torda, Bonap. Syn. p. 431.

Razor-bill, Alca Torda, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 547.

Razor-billed Auk, Alca Torda, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 112; v. v. p. 628.

GENUS III. PHALERIS, Temm. PHALERIS.

Bill shorter than the head, stout, straightish, broad at the base, compressed toward the end; upper mandible with a prominent basal rim as in the puffin, its dorsal line convex and declinate, the sides sloping, the edges sharp, with a deep sinus close to the narrow, declinate, blunt tip; lower mandible with the angle rather long and wide, the dorsal line ascending and a little convex, the sides sloping outwards, the edges sharp, the tip ascending, obliquely truncate. Nostrils linear-oblong, direct, near the margin, in the horny part of the bill. Head rather large, ovate; neck short and thick; body full and compact. Feet short, placed far behind; tibia bare below; tarsus very short, much compressed, anteriorly scutellate; toes three, connected by emarginate webs; middle and outer toes of the same length. Claws rather stout, moderately arched, compressed, rather obtuse. Plumage dense, blended, soft. Wings of moderate length, very narrow, pointed. Tail very short, rounded, of fourteen feathers.

475. 1. Phaleris cristatella, Gmel. Curled-crested Phaleris.

Plate CCCCII. Fig. 4. Adult.

Bill scarlet, with the tips yellow. Upper mandible with a somewhat triangular horny plate at the base detached from the other parts, and a deep oblique groove anterior to the nostrils; lower mandible with a groove on each side; a tuft of about twenty linear recurved feathers from the anterior part of the forehead; general colour of upper parts brownish-black, of lower purplish-grey; a short line of elongated linear white feathers commencing under the eye, and proceeding along the side of the neck.

Adult, 10, wing, 6³/₄.

North-west coast of America.

Alca cristatella, Gmel. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 552.

Curled-crested Phaleris, Phaleris cristatella, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 102.

476. 2. Phaleris nodirostris, Bonap. Knobbed-billed Phaleris.

Plate CCCCII. Fig. 3. Adult.

Bill deep red, much shorter than the head, stout, upper mandible with a roundish, compressed, decurvate, greyish-blue knob on its ridge, between the nostrils, which are covered by a projecting operculum; tail of fourteen feathers; feet dusky grey; general colour of upper parts brownish-black; fore part and sides of head streaked with linear, acuminate, white feathers; tips of secondaries also white; cheeks and a small portion of the throat at the base of the bill dusky; lower parts white, mottled with dusky, the tips of the feathers being of that colour.

Adult, 6, wing, 4.

North-west coast of America.

Knobbed-billed Phaleris, Phaleris nodirostris, Bonap. Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 101.

GENUS IV. MERGULUS, Ray. SEA-DOVE.

Bill shorter than the head, stout, nearly straight, subpentagonal at the base, compressed towards the end; upper mandible with the dorsal line convexo-declinate, the ridge convex, the sides sloping, the edges sharp and overlapping, the tip rather obtuse; nasal depression short and broad; nostrils basal, oblong; lower mandible with the angle long and wide, the dorsal line ascending, straight, the sides convex, toward the end ascending and flattened, the edges sharp and inclinate, the tip acute, with a sinus behind. Head large, ovate; neck short and thick; body full and compact. Feet short, rather stout; tibia bare for a very short space; tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly covered with oblique scutella; hind toe wanting; anterior toes connected by entire webs, the third and fourth nearly equal. Claws rather small, moderately arched, compressed, rather acute. Plumage dense, glossy blended. Wings of moderate length, narrow, pointed; the first quill longest; secondaries rounded. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of twelve feathers.

477. 1. Mergulus Alle, Linn. Common Sea-Dove.

Plate CCCXXXIX. Male and Female.

Bill black, feet pale flesh-coloured, webs dusky, inside of mouth light yellow; head, upper part of neck, and all the upper surface glossy bluish-black; a small spot on the upper eyelid, another on the lower, several longitudinal streaks on the scapulars, and a bar along 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, 7¹/₈, 14¹/₄.

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, Aud. 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 slightly arched; the ridge narrow, broader at the base, the sides sloping, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip a little decurved, with a slight notch; nasal groove broad, feathered; nostrils at its lower edge, subbasal, lateral, longitudinal, linear; 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 scutellate; 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.

478. 1. Uria antiqua, Gmel. Black-throated Guillemot.

Plate CCCCII. Fig. 1. Adult. Fig. 2. Young.

Bill yellow, shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed toward the end, the upper outline arched; feet yellow; head and upper part of neck black, excepting a band of elongated linear feathers beginning over the eye and extending down the hind part of the neck, and a broad band of white commencing behind the ear and curving forwards, to join the white, which is the general colour of the lower parts, with the exception of the flanks, which are black; back, wings, and tail greyish-black. Young, when fledged, with the bill black, the feet dusky; the upper parts blackish-grey, each feather black in the centre, the lower parts greyish-yellow, transversely barred with dusky; the tail broadly tipped with white.

Adult, 10¹/₂, wings, 5⁹/₁₂.

North-west coast of America. Abundant.

Alca antiqua, Gmel. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 551.

Black-throated Guillemot, Uria antiqua, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 100.

479. 2. Uria occidentalis, Bonap. Horned-billed Guillemot.

Plate CCCCII. Fig. 5. Adult.

Bill orange-yellow, shorter than the head, stout, straight, with the dorsal line arched, and an oblong compressed knob on the ridge between the nostrils, which are linear, and placed in the bare skin; feet greyish-yellow; upper parts black, as are the cheeks, the upper part and sides of the fore neck; the lower parts white; two decurved bands of white slender feathers on each side of the head, one commencing over the eye, the other at the angle of the mouth; tail very short, even, of sixteen feathers.

Adult, 15¹/₂, wing, 6¹⁰/₁₂.

North-west coast of America.

Cerorhyncha occidentalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 428.

Western cerorhyncha, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 538.

Horned-billed Guillemot, Ceratorhyncha occidentalis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 104.

480. 3. Uria Brunnichii, Sabine. Large-billed Guillemot.

Plate CCCXLV. Male.

Bill stout, black; feet dusky, tinged with red; general colour of plumage greyish-black on the upper parts; sides of the head and throat tinged with brown; lower fore part of neck, the breast, abdomen, edges of wings and tips of secondaries white; sides streaked with greyish-black. In winter the sides of the head and neck, the fore part of the latter, with the rest of the lower parts white, the sides streaked with greyish-black, and a line of the same behind the eye.

Male, 18¹/₂, 30.

Occasionally procured in Maine. Not very rare off the coast of Nova Scotia. Breeds from Hudson's Bay to the Arctic Seas.

Uria Brunnichii, Bonap. Syn. p. 424.

Uria Brunnichii, Brunnich's Guillemot, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 477.

Large-billed Guillemot, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 529.

Large-billed Guillemot, Uria Brunnichii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 336.

481. 4. Uria Troile, Linn. Foolish Guillemot. Murre.

Plate CCXVIII. Male and Female.

Bill rather stout, black; feet black; general colour of upper parts greyish-black, sides of the head and throat tinged with brown; lower fore neck, breast, abdomen, edges of wings, and tips of secondaries white; sides streaked with greyish-black; a line of white encircling the eye, and extending upwards of an inch behind it, but in some individuals wanting. In winter, the sides of the head and neck, the fore part of the latter, with the lower parts, white.

Male, 17¹/₂, 30.

More or less abundant during winter on the coast of Massachusetts and Maine, rarely as far south as New York. Breeds in vast multitudes on the Rocky Islands of the Gulf of St Lawrence, Newfoundland, and Labrador. Occasionally found in Hudson's Bay.

Uria Troile, Bonap. Syn. p. 424.

Uria Troile, Foolish Guillemot, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 477.

Foolish Guillemot or Murre, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 526.

Foolish Guillemot, Uria Troile, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 142.

482. 5. Uria Grylle, Linn. Black Guillemot.

Plate CCXIX. Adult in summer and winter, and Young.

Bill shorter than the head, rather slender, black; feet vermilion, tinged with carmine; general colour of plumage deep black, on the upper parts tinged with green, on the lower with brown; a patch on each wing, including the secondary coverts and some of the small feathers white, of which colour also are the axillars and lower wing-coverts. In winter the general colour of the plumage 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; upper part of head obscurely mottled with greyish-black; back and scapulars black, each feather tipped with greyish-white, those of the latter more broadly; wings and tails brownish-black, the former with a conspicuous white patch as in summer. Young at first covered with soft, thick, brownish-black down.

Adult, 13⁷/₈, 21¹/₂.

Accidental as far south, on the eastern coast, as New York; not rare from thence eastward, during winter. Breeds from the Bay of Fundy along all the rocky shores, to Labrador, and the highest latitudes, where considerable numbers even spend the winter.

Uria Grylle, Bonap. Syn. p. 423.

Uria Grylle, Black Guillemot, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 523.

Black Guillemot, Uria Grylle, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 148; v. v. p. 627.

483. 4. Uria Townsendii, Aud. Slender-billed Guillemot.

Plate CCCCXXX. Male and Female.

Bill shorter than the head, straight, slender, much compressed, acute, black; feet yellow, claws black; plumage very soft, close, blended, as in the other species; wings small, very narrow, convex, falcate; first quill longest; secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded; tail extremely short, narrow, rounded, of twelve weak, rounded feathers. Upper parts brownish-black, the feathers of the back terminally margined with light grey; lower parts, cheeks, a transverse band on the nape, both eyelids, and a longitudinal band on each side, formed by some of the scapulars, white, some dusky streaks on the hind part of the sides, and the lower wing-coverts greyish-brown, some of them whitish. Young in autumn with the upper parts brownish-black, the feathers terminally margined with brown; the occipital band merely indicated by some lighter feathers, and the scapular band brownish or chestnut-red; lower parts of a curious mottled appearance, the feathers being brownish-grey at the end, but in the rest of their extent white, that colour appearing more or less on all the parts, and shewing a patch on the hind part of the sides.

Adult, 10; wing 5²/₁₂. Young, in autumn, 9³/₄; wing 5¹/₁₂.

Abundant on the north-west coast of America, not far from the Columbia River.

Slender-billed Guillemot, Uria Townsendii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 251.

FAMILY XLV. COLYMBINÆ. DIVERS AND GREBES.

Bill of the length of the head, straight, rather stout, much compressed, pointed; upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate, almost straight, or towards the end convex; nasal groove rather long, feathered at the base. Nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Feet stout, short, placed extremely far behind; tarsus extremely compressed; toes four, the first very small, and lobed; the anterior united by webs, which in some are lobed. Plumage dense, short, glossy, generally silky beneath. Wings small, very narrow, acute. Tail very short, sometimes extremely small, and forming a slight tuft. Tongue slender, trigonal, tapering; œsophagus very wide in its whole length, or narrowed in the anterior part with the proventriculus wide; stomach generally large, muscular, with a dense rugous epithelium; intestine rather long and wide; as are the cœca; cloaca globular.

GENUS I. COLYMBUS, Linn. DIVER.

Bill as long as the head, straight, rather stout, much compressed, tapering, pointed; upper mandible with the dorsal line descending, and slightly convex towards the end, the ridge convex, narrowed towards the point, the sides nearly erect, convex, the edges sharp and considerably inflected; the tip narrow; nasal groove rather long, feathered at the base. Nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious; lower mandible with the angle extremely narrow and extending beyond the middle, the dorsal line straight and sloping towards the point, the ridge convex and narrow, the edges sharp and involute, the tip attenuated. Head of moderate size or rather large, oblong, narrowed before; neck rather long and thick; body elongated, much depressed. Feet short, rather large, placed very far back; tibia almost entirely concealed; tarsus short, exceedingly compressed, sharp-edged before and behind, covered all over with reticulated scales; toes four, hind toe extremely small, connected with the second by a very small membrane; anterior toes united by entire membranes, the outer longest, the third a little shorter, all scutellate. Claws very small, depressed, blunt. Plumage short and dense, the feathers in general oblong. Wings very small and narrow, curved, first quill longest, secondaries broad and rounded. Tail extremely short, rounded of more than twelve feathers. Tongue long, trigonal, tapering; œsophagus very wide; proventriculus extremely dilated; stomach rather large, roundish, a little compressed, moderately muscular, with a rather thick, dense, longitudinally rugous epithelium; intestine rather long and wide; cœca rather long and wide; cloaca globular.

484. 1. Colymbus glacialis, Linn. Great Northern Diver.—Loon.

Plate CCCVI. Male, and Young in winter.

Adult in summer with the bill black, the feet livid greyish-blue, their inner sides tinged with flesh-colour; head and neck dark greenish-blue with purple gloss; on the throat a small transverse patch of white longitudinally streaked with dusky; above the middle of the neck two large patches of white similarly streaked, separated in front to the distance of an inch, but almost continuous behind; lower parts glossy white, excepting the feathers on the sides under the wings, which are black, each with two, three, or four elliptical white spots, a faint dusky band across the vent, the lower tail-coverts, which are brownish-black tipped with white, and the axillar-feathers and large wing-coverts, which have a dusky streak along the middle; sides of the neck at its lower part longitudinally streaked with black and white; upper parts glossy black, variegated with spots of white in regular transverse slightly curved lines, having the convexity backwards, the spots small and roundish towards the neck and sides, larger and somewhat four-sided along the middle of the back, largest and rectangular on the scapulars, very small and roundish on the hind part of the back and tail-coverts; upper part of wing similar, with smallish spots; alula and quills brownish-black, a few of the inner secondaries only having two white spots at the end of the tail brownish-black, of twenty feathers. Young in winter with the bill pale yellowish-green, the ridge and tip of the upper mandible dusky; upper parts dark greyish-brown, each feather margined with lighter, lower parts white, sides of the neck below streaked with dusky, sides of body dusky, without spots.

Adult, 32⁷/₈, 57¹/₂. Young Male, in winter, 31¹/₄, 54¹/₂.

During winter dispersed over the United States, in Texas, as well as along the coasts of the Atlantic, and the north-west. Breeds from Massachusetts northward to very high latitudes. Common.

Great Northern Diver or Loon, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ix.

Colymbus glacialis, Bonap. Syn. p. 420.

Colymbus glacialis, Great Northern Diver, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 474.

Loon or Great Northern Diver, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 513.

Great Northern Diver or Loon, Colymbus glacialis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 43.

485. 2. Colymbus arcticus, Linn. Black-throated Diver.

Plate CCII. Male, Female, and Young in winter.

Adult in summer with the bill black, the feet greyish-blue, the anterior edge of the tarsus, upper surface of toes, and part of the webs, pale livid flesh-colour; fore part and sides of head, throat, and sides of neck light bluish-grey, fore part and sides of head darker; upper parts glossy bluish-black, tinged with green anteriorly, and shaded with brown posteriorly; on the fore part of the back two longitudinal bands of transverse white bars, the feathers being tipped with that colour; the scapulars, excepting the outer, marked in the same manner with transverse rows of rather large square spots; most of the wing-coverts with two roundish spots of white near the end; quills blackish-brown, tinged with grey externally, paler on the inner webs; tail blackish-brown, of eighteen feathers; fore neck to the length of six and a half inches purplish-black, ending angularly below, and with a transverse interrupted band of linear-white spots near the upper part, beyond which the sides of the neck blackish-brown, with several longitudinal white streaks, formed by the edges of the feather; on the lower part of the neck a broad space occupied by their longitudinal dusky and white streaks; lower parts pure white, except a dusky longitudinal band on the sides under the wing. Young in winter with the bill bluish-grey, on the ridge dusky; upper part of head and hind neck dark greyish-brown, sides of head greyish-white, minutely streaked with brown, sides of neck also streaked, its fore part faintly mottled; lower parts white, the sides and lower tail-coverts greyish-brown; upper parts blackish-brown, the feathers broadly edged with pale grey, quills and tail brownish-black.

Male, 29, 39¹/₂.

The young range throughout the interior and along the coast as far as Texas, in autumn and winter. Adult in full plumage very rare. Breeds in high latitudes. Columbia River.

Colymbus arcticus, Bonap. Syn. p. 420.

Colymbus arcticus, Black-throated Diver, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 475.

Black-throated Diver, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 517.

Black-throated Diver, Colymbus arcticus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 345.

486. 3. Colymbus septentrionalis, Linn. Red-throated Diver.

Plate CCII. Male in summer, Male in winter, Female, and Young.

Adult, in summer, with the bill bluish-black, the feet brownish-black, anterior part of tarsus, upper surface of toes, and part of webs, livid flesh-colour; fore part and sides of head, throat, and sides of neck, bluish-grey; fore part of neck rich brownish-red; hind part of head and hind neck longitudinally streaked with greenish-black and pure white, each feather black in the middle, with the sides white, the colours disposed in lines; upper parts in general brownish-black, tinged with green, more or less mottled with white, according to age, excepting the primary quills and the tail-feathers, of which there are twenty; lower parts pure white, excepting the feathers on the sides under the wings, some of those about the vent, and the lower tail-coverts, which are greyish-brown, with white margins and tips. Young, in winter, with the fore part of the neck white, or slightly mottled with red; all the feathers of the upper parts with two white spots near the end; tail-feathers edged and tipped with white. Young at first covered with dense elastic down, of a greyish-black colour, tinged with Brown.

Male, 19, 25. Female, 18, 24.

Not uncommon during winter, autumn, and early spring, from Maryland eastward. Breeds in Newfoundland, Labrador, and as far north as the Arctic Seas.

Colymbus septentrionalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 421.

Red-throated Diver, Colymbus septentrionalis, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 476.

Red-throated Diver, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 519.

Red-throated Diver, Colymbus septentrionalis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 20; v. v. p. 625.

GENUS II. PODICEPS, Lath. GREBE.

Bill about the length of the head, or shorter, straight, rather stout, much compressed, tapering, pointed; upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate and more or less convex toward the end, the ridge convex, the sides erect and somewhat convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip narrow; nasal groove rather long, extending to nearly half the length of the mandible, feathered at the base; nostrils linear-elliptical, basal, rather small, pervious; lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and straight, the sides erect and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute, the tip acute. Head of moderate size, oblong, narrowed before; neck rather long and slender; body long, depressed. Feet short, large, placed close to the extremity of the body; tibia feathered to the joint; tarsus extremely compressed, its anterior edge with a row of small scutella, the sides broadly scutellate, the posterior ridge with a double row of small prominent scales; toes four, first very small, with a posterior membrane, fourth longest, all scutellate, the anterior connected at the base by membranes, and having on both sides an expanded web-like margin, marked with oblique lines. Claws flat, that of the third toe broadest. Plumage very soft and blended, on the lower parts dusky. Wings small acute, curved, the second primary longest, the first little shorter; secondaries short and rounded. Tail a slight tuft of loose feathers, fourteen in number. Tongue slender, trigonal, pointed; œsophagus of moderate width; proventriculus very large, ovate; stomach extremely large, roundish, its muscular coat thin; the epithelium thick, soft, rugous; a small pyloric sac; intestine of moderate length and width; cœca rather long, slender; cloaca very large, globular. Bronchi with the rings entire and ossified.

487. 1. Podiceps cristatus, Lath. Crested Grebe.

Plate CCXCII. Male and Female.

Male with the bill about the length of the head, rather slender, blackish-brown, tinged with carmine; feet greenish-black, tinged with greyish-blue; tail of fourteen feathers; two tufts of elongated feathers on the occiput, and a large frill on the sides and anterior part of the neck; upper part of head and tufts greyish-black, tinged with green, as is the hind part of the ruff, its anterior part being brownish-red; sides of the head and throat white; fore neck white, tinged with brown; breast silvery-white, sides reddish-brown, with dusky streaks; upper parts brownish-black, the feathers edged with lighter, the sides of the neck tinged with reddish, as is the rump; wing-coverts greyish-brown; primary quills brownish-black, middle secondaries, inner webs of their coverts, and outer webs of outer scapulars, white. Female with the occipital feathers a little elongated, but without the ruff; bill dusky green, upper part of head and hind neck blackish-grey; back and wings as in the male, but more tinged with grey; lower parts silvery-white, the sides dusky.