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MANUAL

OP

North American Birds. .,

BY

(of\

EGBERT RIDGWAY.

ILLUSTRATED BY m OUTLINE DRAWINGS OF THE GENERIC CHARACTERS.

icHf m^ 01 Ob

PHILADELPHIA:

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY.

1887.

Copyright, 1887, by J. B. Lippincott Compaxi

PREFACE.

The object of the present volume is to furnish a convenient manual of North American Ornithology, reduced to the smallest com- pass, by the omission of everything that is not absolutely necessary for determining the character of any given specimen, and including, besides the correct nomenclature of each species, a statement of its natural habitat, and other concomitant data.

Originally projected by Professor Spencer F. Baird, and based essentially upon the grand National cabinet of American birds which his energy, ability, and enthusiasm have developed from an unpre- tentious nucleus into a collection unrivalled in extent and wholly unique in scientific value, this work may be considered as, in a measure, the consummation of a plan conceived by that illustrious naturalist, whose works represent the highest type of systematic orni- thology, and have furnished the model from which the younger gen- eration of ornithologists have drawn their inspiration. Professor Baird's great responsibilities and engrossing duties as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and Director of the United States National Museum precluded the possibility of his completing the work which he had so long cherished, and had even begun, when called to the high positions which he has filled with so much advantage to science and honor to himself.

Honored with the privilege of continuing the work commenced by abler hands, the author has endeavored to fulfil his trust with careful attention to the hope of its originator that the Manual of

iii

w

PREFACE.

North American Birds may serve as a handy book for the sportsman and traveller, as well as for the resident naturalist, and that all may find it a convenient and satisfactory means of identifying any North American bird in all its variations of plumage.

ROBERT RIDGWAY.

Department op Birds, United States National Museum, April 11, 1887.

^pntfcr jr. 33atrti.

Just as this book is about to be issued, information has been re- ceived of the death of Professor Baird, at Wood's Holl, Massachusetts.

It is unnecessary here to make more than passing reference to Professor Baird's eminence as an ornithologist, — an eminence attained through the inherent excellence of liis published works rather than their extent. His influence in the development of American ornithol- ogy has been greater than that of any other person, and no one else has commanded so fully the respect, admiration, and confidence due to his high attainments, the sterling qualities of his mind and heart, and the integrity of his character. Indeed, it may vith truth be said that every naturalist of eminence in the United States owes much of his success to a personal acquaintance with Professor Baird, whose sound advice, ready sympathy, and uniform kindness are reverently and afiectionately remembered by all who are so fortunate as to have enjoyed the privilege of his acquaintance.

Special reference has been made in the Preface and Introduction to Professor Baird's intimate connection with the " Manual of North American Birds," a work planned by him many years ago, but which he was prevented, by engrossing public duties, from personally exe- cuting. In spite of physical sufiering and harassing cares, he retained, almost to the last moment, a lively interest in the work, which was completed but a short time previous to his death.

R. R.

Washington, August 20, 1887.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION "of

KEY TO THE HIGHER GROUPS ..........**.' ^'''

Order Pygopodks— The Diving Birds *.!'.. ^

Family Podicipidae— The Grebes .'.*.''.'.'.'.' t

" UrinatoridaB— The Loons [ [

" Alcidae— The Auks, Mim-es, etc. ^

Order LoNGiPENNEs— The Long-winged Swimmers .' .' .* ." .*.".'.'.'.*.'.' gO

Family Stercorariidse— The Skuas and Jaegers . . . .* ^

" LaridiB— The Gulls and Terns 03

" Rynchopidse— The Skimmei-s ^

Order Tubinares— The Tube-nosed Swimmers !f

Family Diomedeidaj— The Albatrosses ....'.'.'.'..".'..'.. ^

" Procellariidaj— The Fulmars and Shearwaters . . ". eo

Order Steganopodes— The Totipalmate Swimmers „^

Family Phiethontidaj— The Tropic Birds ....."' !l

" Sulidte— The Gannets 74

" Anhingidaj— The Darters [ [

" Phalaerocoracidaj— The Cormorants '. --

" Pclccanidaj— The Pelicans l]

" FregatidsB-The Man-o'-War Birds J>

Order Anseres— The Lamellirostml Swimmers . . 04

Family Anatidie— The Ducks, Geese, and Swans 04

Order Odontogloss.e— The Lamellirostral Waders j^l

Family Phcenicopteridte— The Flamingoes ... ,1!

Order Herodiones— The Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc. .Zl

Family Plataleidae— The Spoonbills . . J^,

" Ibididae— The Ibises Jgr

" CiconiidiB— The Storks and Wood Ibises 194

" ArdeidsB— The Herons and Bitterns . . ,„*

Order Palitdicol^— The Cranes, Rails, etc

Family Gruidae— The Cranes ^^^

" AramidiB— The Courlans jf-

" Rallidie— The Rails, Gallinules, Coots, etc' .on*

Order LiMicoL^— The Shore Birds

Family Phalaropodidre— The Phalaropes .... . . . jjo

" Kecurvirostrid83— The Avocets and Stilts ^q

" ScolopacidoB— The Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. . ,47

" Charadriidte— The Plovers .*.".".. j-o

" Aphrizidffi-The Surf Birds and Turnstones 179

" Hsematopodida}— The Oyster-catchers . ] jg,

" Jacanidae— The Jacanaa ,"

' • loo

V

CONTENTS.

PAOE

Order Galling — The Gullinaceous Birds 184

Family Tetruonidiu — The Gi-ouse, Piirtridges, etc 184

" I'husiunidie — The rheasnnts, Turkeys, etc 205

" Crueidic — The Curassows and Guans 207

Order CoLUMBiB — The Pigeons 210

Family Columbidu) — The Tigeons 210

Order Rai'Tokks— The Birds of Prey 218

Family Cnthartidic — The American Vultures 218

" Faleoiiidaj— The Falcons, Hawks, etc 222

" Strigidie— The Barn Owls 255

" Bubonidic— The Horned Owls, etc 255

Order Psittaci — The Parrots, Macaws, Paroquets, etc 2tt8

Family Psittacid*— The Parrots, etc 2G8

Order Coccyoes — The Cuckoos, etc 271

Family Cuculidie— The Cuckoos 271

" Trogonidic — The Trogons 275

" Momotidte — The Motmots 277

" Alcedinidie— The Kingfishers .278

Order Pici— The Woodpeckei-s, Wrynecks, etc 280

Family PicidiB— The Woodpeckers 280

Order Macrochibks — The Goatsuckers, Swifts, etc 297

Family Caprinuilgidte — The Goatsuckers 297

" Micropodiduj— The Swifts 302

" Trochilidie— The Hummingbirds 303

Order Passeres — The Perching Birds 321

Family CotingidM— The Cotingas 323

" Tyrannid.3— The Tyrant Flycatchei-s 326

" Alaudidic— The Larks 340

" Corvida?— The Crows, Jays, Magpies, etc 350

" Sturnida;— The Starlings 364

" Icterida-— The Blackbirds, Orioles, etc 305

" Fringillidic— The Finches, Sparrows, etc 382

" Tanagrida? — The Tanagei-s 453

" Hirundinidne — The Swallows 457

" Ampolida;— The Waxwings, etc 463

" Lanlidw— The Shrikes 465

" Vireonidii? — The Vireos 468

" CcBrebidiB — The Honey Creepers 479

" MniotiltidiB— The Wood AVarblen 480

" Motacillid*— The Wagtails 532

'« Cinclidio— The Dippers 538

" Troglodytida> — The Wrens, Thrashers, etc 538

" CerthiidfB— The Creepers 557

" Paridm— rhe Nuthatches and Tits 558

" Sylviidre — The Warblers, Kinglets, and Gnatcatchers 566

" Turdidas— The Thrushes, Solitaires, Stonechats, Bluebirds, etc 571

Appendix 583

Index 595

INTEODUOTION.

In Classification, Nomenclature, and Numeration the present work corre- sponds strictly with the " Check List of North American Birds" published by the American Ornithologists' Union,' which represents the joint labors of a " Commit- tee on Classification and Nomenclaturo' 'yipointed by the Union during its first Congress, held in New York City, Septemi. i- 2G-29, 1883.

During the year which has elapsed gince the publication of the A. 0. U. Check List several species have been add' ''■ to tLo Nor'-lj American fauna, while others have been for the first cime described. Th« se mo of course included in the present .7ork, being interpolated in their proper pii'/'es.' At the same time, it has been considered desirable, in th'^ interest oi tbf student of North American Ornithol- ogy, to include, for reasons stated farther on,' certain extralimital species from contiguous countries. All such additional species have, however, been carefully distinguished typographically, in oi'der that no confusion may arise, the method of discrimination being as follows :

(1) All species which are undoubtedly North American, even though of doubt- ful validity, are in larger tj'pe, those given in the A. O. U. Check List proper being numbered as in that list, while eighteen of the twenty-six species composing the so-called "Hypothetical List,"* and also those subsequently added to the fauna, ure preceded by a dash ( — ) instead of a number. (2) All species which have not been established as North American (the majority never having been claimed as such) are printed in smaller type, and have neither a number nor a dash.

The Geographical Limits ai-e also, so far as numbered species are concerned, those of the A. O. U. Check List ; but practically these limits have been enlarged so

* For lists of these additional species, see Appendix, pages 591-594. ' See under " Qeographical Limits."

* " Consisting of species which have been recorded as North American, but whoso status as North Ameri- can birds is doubtful, either from lack of positive evidence of their occurrence within the prescribed limits . . . or from absence of satisfactory proof oi their validity as species." Of the twenty-six species constituti-.g this list, eighteen are unquestionably North American (one of them having been recently established as such), while the remaining eight have very scant claims to a place in our fauna.

vii

(■?"

vin

INTRODUCTION.

as to include all the species known to inhabit Socorro Island, off the coast of north- western Mexico, which is decidedly Nearctic, or North American, in its zoological aflSnities, while in many crses other extralimital species have been included, for the sake of comparison and also on account of the greater or less probability of their occurrence within the southern boundary of the United States. In most cases this ignoring of geographical limits has been confined to the inclusion of only the Mexi- can,* Cuban, and Bahaman species of characteristically North American genera, or of genera from the same regions belonging to North American Families, the Euro- pean analogues of certain North American species, and species of northeastern Asia which have been ascribed to Alaska, or which may from the close proximity of their habitat be expected to occur thei*e. A notable departure from this general rule has, however, been made in the Order Tubinares, consisting whoUj' of species inhabiting the "high seas," whose more or less erratic or fortiiitous wanderings render them specially liable to a place in the list of " accidental visitors" to any sea-girt country, for which reason it has been considered desirable, as an aid to ftiture research, to include all known species belonging to genera of which repre- sentatives have been taken in North American waters.

Material. — Although the unrivalled collection of American birds and their eggs forming part of the National Museum* has furnished by far the greater por- tion of the material upon which this work is based, several other public museums, as well as rich private collections, have been carefully studied. Thus, the American Museum of Natural Historj', in New York City ; the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia ; the Boston Society of Nature) History ; the Museum of Compara- tive Zoology, in Cambridge, Mass. ; and the splendid private collections of Messrs. George N. Lawrence, of New York City, William Brewster, of Cambridge, Mass., and H. W. Henshaw,' of Washington, D.C., have furnished indispensable material in the way of extralimital species or more extensive series of certain North Amer- ican species, for comparison, than had yet been secured by the National Museum. It is not, however, the large number of specimens alone that has furnished the sub- stantial basis of the following synoptical tables ; for, however much the proper dis-

1 Under the head of " Mexican" are included not only Mexico itself, but also Quatemala and Honduraa. (See page vii, regarding typographical distinction between extralimital and North American species.)

' The total number of specimens of American birds in the National Museum collection at the end of June, 1886, was about .36,000, exclusive of dupliootes and mounted specimens ; the North American " study series" of Paiteren and " Pienn'ir" (i.e., Macrnchiren, Pici, and Coccyges) alone aggregating nearly 13,000, counting only those obtained from North America proper, as defined in the A. 0. U. Check List. At the same time, the collec- tion of North American birds' eggs numbered 38,400 specimens, constituting by far the most extensive and valu- able one in existence. Even before the addition of the magnificent private collection so generously donated by Captain Charles E. Bendire, U.S.A., no other was comparable to it, either in the number of species represented or in their careful identification, it having from the commencement been made a rule to destroy all specimens regarding which there appeared the least doubt or suspicion. Captain Bendire's celebrated collection, while representing fewer species, included far more extensive series of a largo number of species, showing extreme variations of size, contour, and coloration, all perfectly identified, while it wa« wholly unique in the exquisite preparation of the specimens.

* Speoial mention should be made of Mr. Henshaw's valuable ooUection (ombraoing more than 7000 speoi- meuB and unusually complete series of many species), which through the owner's courtesy has been constantly accessible to the author.

INTRODUCTION.

is

crimination of species and subspecies may be a question of material, a groat deal depends upon our knowledge of the birds in life, their natural surroundings, and other things which can be learne,^ only out of doors. Fortunately, a very large number of accomplished field-naturalists have carefully observed the habits of our birds, and through their published records have together contributed a vast store of information which no single person could himself have gained. To the much that has been gleaned from this source have been added the author's field-notes, col- lected during the period extending from a recent date back to the year 1863, and embracing many measurements of fresh specimens, notes on location of nests, fresh colors of bill, eyes, feet, etc., and various other useful memoranda.

Measurements are in English inches and hundredths, except when otherwise stated.* Whenever practicable, they have been taken from large series of speci- mens, and the extremes given, as well as the average, which follows in parenthesis. Thus, 5.75-6.50 (6.12) would indicate the minimum, maximum, and average, re- spectively, of the measurements taken. In the case of closely-allied forms, or where distinctive characters are largely a matter of dimensions or the proportionate meas- urements of different parts, care has been taken to measure, whenever possible, an equal number of specimens of the several forms to bo compared ; and specimens in abraded or otherwise imperfect plumage, as well as young birds, have been excluded. When there is any marked sexual difference in size, the number of males and females measured of allied forms has also been made as nearly equal as possible. Length is to be understood as moaning the total length (from end of bill to tip of tail) of the fresh specimen, before skinning, unless otherwise stated. This measurement is the least important of any for the purpose of determination of the species, being of any value at all only when taken from the fresh specimen, before skinning, and even then subject to much vai'iation, according to the amount of stretching to which the bird is subjected. In a very largo number of species the author's measurements from freshly-killed specimens are given, but in perhajis a majority of cases it has been necessary to take measurements made by others. Owing to the fact that all our leading authorities have been consulted on this point and only the extremes given, it has boon found impracticable (even if desirable) to distinguish the latter fronj the former, but it may be remarked that nearly all of those in which the range of variation between the extremes is very great belong to the latter category. Length of wing is from the "bend," or carpal joint, to tip of longest primary, the rule being laid along the outer or convex side and the wing brought up close to it for its entire length. Length of tail is from tip of longest feathers to their apparent base, a point often vory difficult to determine, and subject to niore or less vai'iation according to the method of preparing the skin, the amount of shrinkage to which the flesh at the base of the tail has been subjected, etc. Length of culmen is the chord of the curve, measured with dividers, from the tip of the upper mandible to the extreme base of the culmen (this often more or less concealed by feathers of the forehead) — unless the qualifying word " exposed" is prefixed, in which case the measurement is similarly made to where the frontal feathers close

' Soo foot-note on page x., as to oonrorston of inches and decimals into milllmotrefl.

if

'I*

X INTRODUCTION.

over the base of the culmen. Depth of bill is also measured with dividers, and is a measurement requiring extreme care. Length of tarsus is measured with dividers, one point resting in the tibio-tarsal joint, on the outer side, the other on the lower edge of lowermost tarsal scutella, In front (in Passerine and certain Picarian and Raptorial birds), or to the more or less obvious transverse depression markin* the line of separation between tarsus and base of middle toe (in most water birds and some others). Length of middle toe is always measured with dividers from the last-mentioned point to the base of the claw, on top, and not including the claw, unless so stated.

Measurements of eggs represent the average of six specimens (more or less, ac- cording to the extent of the series available for the purpose) which represent or approximate the average size and form as neai'ly as could be determined by the eye alone.

The names op colors used in the diagnoses are adopted from the author's " No- menclature of Colors," ' in which may be found an elaborate though concise treatise on the subject, designed especially for the uses of the naturalist, and in which 186 colors, embracing all that are named in descriptive ornithology, are depicted, by hand-colored plates.

Illustrations. — With the exception of those which have already appeared in the Beview of American Birds* History of North American Birds," and Water Birds of North America* the illustrations have been made specially for the present work by Mr. John L. Ridgway, under the author's supervision, and engraved by the cele- brated " Jewett" process of Messrs. Matthews, Northrupp & Co., of Buffalo, N.Y.

Acknowledgments are specially due to Professor Baird, not only for the

[In this work is also ombodiod a " Glossary of terms used in descriptive ornithology," in which references are given to all the plates. The latter include, besides those representing the colors, throe showing the exter- nal anatomy or " topography" of a bird, with special reference to the names used in descriptions, one illus- trating various cgg-oontours, one showing a comparative scale of standard measurements, and two upon which are depicted the various forms or patterns of feather-markings. There is also, among other things useful to the naturalist, a series of tables for the easy conversion of inches and decimals into millimetres, and vi'ce versu.'\

One volume, 8vo; date of publication (by signatures), June, 1864, to June, 18B6.

and Company | 1874. |

[This is the most recent work on North American ornithology, giving, besides technical descriptions, synonymy, etc., a general account of the history ond habits of each species, as known up to date of publica- tion. The size is small 4to, ond the total number of pages nearly 1800.]

* Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Vols. XII. and XIII. The Woter Birds of North America, By S. F. Baird, T. M. Brewer, and R. Ridgway. Issued in continuation of the pub- lications of the California Geological Survey. J. D. Whitney, State Geologist. Boston, Little, Brown, and Company, 1884.

[Two volumes, uniform in general style, typography, etc., with the " History of North American Birds," and in reality the conclusion of that work. Total number of pages 1104, embellished by numerous wood-cuti.]

INTRODUCTION.

xi

privilege of consulting specimens and books so essential to the preparation of this work, but also for the friendly advice and valuable suggestions which have ren- dered comparatively easy the performance of a task which under less favorable auspices would have been far morn difficult of accomplishment. For valuable aid, always most cordially rendered, the author is much indebted to Dr. Leonhard Stejneger, whoso well-known thorough bibliographical knowledge and excellent judgment have greatly facilitated the settlement of many vexatious questions of synonymy and difficult problems of relationship. To the authorities of the several public museums and the owners of the private collections already mentioned, the author is glad to have this opportunity of publicly expressing his sense of obliga- tion for many courtesies, including, besides unrestricted access to the collections in question, the loan of valuable and unique type specimens.

H. H.

i'i I

\ 1

North American Birds.

KEY TO THE HIGHER GROUPS.

Hind toe connected by web or membrane with the inner toe.

Order Steganopodes. (Page 73.) Hind toe not connected with inner toe.

b\ Nostrils tubular • Order Tubinares. (Page 50.)

6*. Nostrils not tubular.

c^ Cutting-edges of bill more or less distinctly fringed or serrated.

d}. Legs short, or but slightly lengthened ; bill not abruptly bent

downward from the middle... Order Anseres. (Page 84.)

d*. Legs excessively lengthened ; bill bent abruptly downward from

the middle Order Odontoglossae. (Page 121.)

c'. Cutting-edges of bill not fringed nor serrated.

d'. Legs inserted far behind the middle of the body, which in standing position is more or less erect, the toes webbed or conspicuously

lobed Order Pygopodes. (Page 4.)

d'. Legs inserted near the middle of the body, which in standing posi- tion is nearly horizontal, or else toes not webbed, e'. Anterior toes distinctly webbed, and tarsus shorter than tail.

Order Longipennes. (Page 20.) e'. Anterior toes not distinctly webbed, or else tarsus decidedly longer than tail, or else bill extremely small, with gape very broad and deeply cleft. /'. Lower portion of thighs naked, or else bill lengthened and grooved along each side, the outer and middle toes separated for their entire length. g\ Hind toe well developed and inserted at same level with anterior toes, the claws never excessively lengthened ; loral or orbital regions, or both (some- times whole head), naked.

Order Herodiones. (Page 122.)

1

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

g*. Hind toe (if present) small and inserted above the

level of the rest, or else size small or medium

(never as much as 8 feet long) ; loral and orbital

regions fully feathered, and middle claw with edge

not pectinated.

h}. If more than 3 feet long, the hind toe short and

elevated ; if under 3 feet long, the hind toe on

same level with anterior toes.

Order Paludicolae. (Page 134.)

h*. Never over 3 feet long (usually much less), the

hind toe (if present) short and elevated, or

else the claws excessively lengthened and

wings spurred.

Order Limicolse. (Page 143.) /'. Lower portion of thighs feathered (or else middle and outer toes united for at least half their length), the bill if lengthened not grooved along the side. g^. Bill strongly hooked, with a distinct naked cere at base of upper mandible ; or if no naked cere, the toes 2 in front and 2 behind. h^. Toes 3 in front, or else outer too reversible.

Order Raptores. (Page 218.) h*. Toes 2 in front, 2 behind (outer toe permanently

reversed) Order Psittaci. (Page 268.)

g*. Bill not strongly hooked, and without naked cere at base of upper mandible ; or if with a cere, the latter swollen and the bill straight, /t*. Hind toe small and elevated, or else bill with- out soft swollen cere.

Order Gallinai. (Page 184.)

A*. Hind toe (or toes) well developed and on same

level with anterior toes.

iK Bill with soft swollen cere at base of upper

mandible. Order Columbse. (Pago 210.)

iK Bill without soft swollen cere.

/. Wings very long, with 10 quills, tail of 10 feathers, and gape very wide and deeply cleft, or else bill long and slender, tongue extensile, and secondaries only 6 in number. Order Macrochiies. (Page 297.) j*. Wings not very long and gape not very wide nor deeply cleft, or else wing with only 9 quills and tail-feathers 12 in number.

KEF TO THE HIOHER GROUPS.

3

Toes only 2 in front, or if 3, the middle and outer toes con- nected for at least half their length. J}. Tail-feathers stiff and more or less pointed, and bill more or less chisel-like.

Order Pici. (Page 280.) V. Tail-feathers neither stiff nor pointed, and bill not chisel- like. Order Coccyges. (Page 271.) Toes 3 in front, 1 behind, the middle and outer toes not united for half their length, lower part of thighs feathered, and tarsus equal to or longer than lateral toes. Order Passeres. (Page 321.)

m^

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

Order PYGOPODES.— The Diving Birds.

(Page 1) Families.

a}. Tail-feathers wanting.

Anterior toes lobed, the nails very broad, flat, and with rounded tips. (Sub- order Podicipedes) Podicipidae. (Pago 4.)

a}. Tail-feathers present, but short. (Suborder Cepphi.)

t*. Hind toe present Urinatoridae. (Pago 6.)

v. Hind toe absent Alcidse. (Page 8.)

Family PODICIPID^.— The Grebes. (Pago 4.)

I^est a thick matted platform of rushes, sedges, etc., usually floating upon the surface of the water in grassy or sedgy ponds or marshes. Eggs 2-5, dull white, bluish white, or very pale bluish green, usually stained more or less (often quite deeply) with light brown, by contact with decomposed vegetable matter.

Genera.

a'. Bill slender, the length of the culmen much more than twice the depth at the base. 6*. Length^of culmen fivo or more times as much as greatest depth of the bill;

neck nearly as long as the body .^chmophorus. (Pago 4.)

6*. Length of culmen less than four times as much as greatest depth of the bill ;

neck much shorter than the body Colymbus. (Page 5.)

a*. Bill very stout, the length of the culmen less than twice as much as the greatest depth of the bill Podilymbus. (Page 6.)

Genus .ffiCHMOPHORUS Coues. (Page 4, pi. I., fig. 1.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Pileum and cervix slaty black ; rest of upper parts slaty, inner webs of remiges chiefly white; entire lower parts, including lower half of head and all of neck except stripe down the cervix, pure satiny white. Downy young : Above uniform brownish gray, lighter anteriorly ; lower parts uniform white.

a\ Length 24.00-29.00 inches ; wing 7.45-8.60 (average 8.07) ; culmen 2.60- 3.05 (2.78). Eggs 2-5, 2.40 X 1-54. Hab. Western North America (chiefly the interior) from Mexico and Lower California to Manitoba.

1. ^. occidentalis (Lawr.). Western Grebe.

a\ Length about 22.00 inches; wing 6.70-7.75 (7.31); culmen 2.10-2.48 (2.25). Eggs 2-5, 2.16X1-41. ffab. Western Noi'th America, chiefly along Pacific coast — .JE. clarkii (Lawr.). Clark's Orebe.

COL r MB vs.

Genus COLYMBUS Linn^us. (Page 4, pi.

I, figs. 2, 3.)

Species.

Wing 5.00 inches or more.

b\ Bill about as long as the head. "Wing more than 6.00 inches. (Subgenus Colymbus.) c*. Feathers of lower parts pure white to the extreme base. Nuptial plumage : Throat and chin huffy white, passing posteriorly into rich ferruginous on the very prominent auricular frill, which is tipped with black ; top of head and elongated tufts on each side of occiput glossy black. Length 22.00-24.00; wing 6.80-7.75; culmen 1.75- 2.30. Hab. Nearly cosmopolitan, but no authentic record for any portion of America.

C. cristatus Linn. Crested Grebe.*

c\ Feathers of lower parts white only superficially, the concealed portion being distinctly grayish. Nuptial plumage : Top of head dull black, somewhat glossy ; rest of head ash-gray, bordered above and poste- riorly by whitish ; neck rufous. dK Length about 17.50 ; wing 6.45-7.00 (6.63) ; culmen 1.50-1.55 (1.53). Mab. Northern portions of eastern hemisphere.

C. grisegena Bodd. Red-necked Grebe.*

(P. Length 18.00-20.50 ; wing 7.30-8.10 (7.65) ; culmen 1.65-2.40 (2.02). Eggs 2-5, 2.23 X 1-37. Hub. North America, including Green- land, breeding far northward ; eastern Asia.

2. C. holbcellii (Reinh.). Holboell's Orebe.

b\ Bill much shorter than head. Wing not more than 6.00 inches. (Subgenus

Dytes Kaup.)

cS Bill compressed (deeper than wide) at base. Nuptial plumage : Lower

neck and chest rufous ; sides of occiput with a very full dense

tuft of soft, blended, ochraceous feathers. Downy young: Whole

top of head dusky; sides of head whitish with two stripes and

several irregular spots of dusky ; a dusky streak on each side of

throat ; upper parts plain dusky grayish. Length 12.50-15.25 ; wing

about 5.75. Eggs 2-7, 1.78 X 1-20. Hab. Northern portion of

northern hemisphere, breeding in America chiefly north of the

United States 3. C. auritus Linn. Honied Orebe.

c*. Bill depressed (wider than deep) aL uaao. Nuptial plumage : Head, neck, and chest black ; sides of head, behind eyes, with a tuft-like or somewhat fan-shaped loose patch of slender ochraceous feathers. Downy young : Top of head dusky, with several white markings, the middle of the crown with a small naked, reddish space ; no dusky

* Colymbus criatatua LiNN., S.N. ed. 10, 1758, 135.

* Colymhtti griaegena BoDD., Tabl. P. E. 1783, 65.

nrnm

6

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

Length

streak on side of throat, or elsewhere below level of eyes 12.00-14.00 ; wing 5.20-5.50. d}. Three or four inner quills mostly or entirely white. Hab. Central Europe and Asia.

C. nigricollis (Brehm). Eared Grebe.^

d*. Inner quills with inner webs wholly dusky. Colors generally duller and bill more slender. Eggs 4-8, 1.75 X 1-19. Hab. Western North America, north to Groat Slave Lake, south to Guatemala, east to Mississippi Valley.

4. C. nigricollis californicus (IIeerm.). American Eared Grebe, a*. Wing less than 5.00 inches. (Subgenus Podiceps Lath.)

Tarsus decidedly shorter than middle toe without claw. Nuptial plumage: Top of head dull greenish black; rest of head dark gray or dull plum- beous, the chin and throat dull black. Downy young : Top of head black, with a rufous spot in middle of crown, and various white markings; sides and underparts of head and neck white varied with black lines. Length 9.00-10.50 ; wing 4.00. Eggs 1.35 X -94. Hab. Tropical America in general, north to southern Texas and Lower California.

5. C. dominicus Linn. St. Domingo Grebe.

Genus PODILYMBUS Lesson. (Page 4, pi. I., fig. 5.)

Species.

Brownish above, silvery white beneath, the feathers dark grayish basally. Nuptial plumage : Chin, throat, and anterior portion of malar region black ; rest of head and neck brownish gray, darker above ; lower parts spotted with dusky ; bill whitish, crossed about the middle by a black band. Winter plumage : Black throat, etc., of nuptial plumage replaced by dull whitish, the rest of the head browner ; lower parts without dusky spots ; bill brownish (paler on lower man- dible) without black band. Young : Similar to winter adult, but sides of head more or less distinctly striped with brown. Doiony young : Head and neck distinctly striped with white and black, the crown with a rufous spot ; a rufous spot on upper part of nape and on each side of occiput ; upper parts blackish, marked with four strips of grayish white. Length 12.00-15.00 ; wing 4.50-5.00. Eggs 4-5, 1.72 X 1.99. Hab. The whole of America, except extreme northern and southern districts.

6. P. podiceps (Linn.). Fied-billed Grebe.

Family URINATORID.^.— The Loons. (Page 4.)

Genus. (Characters same as those given for the family) Urinator. (Page 7.)

' Podicept nigrieollii Brebh, Vog. Deutschl., 1831, 963. Culymhui uigricoUU Stbjn., Auk, ii., Got. 1885, 340.

VRINATOR.

)ot. 1886, 340.

Genus URINATOR Cuvier. (Page 6, pi. TI., fig. 1.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Above blackish or slaty, beneath white. In summer, upper parts spotted or speckled with white, the throat and fore-neck blackish or chestnut. In winter, and in young, upper parts without white markings, and throat and fore-neck white like rest of lower parts. Downy young uniform sooty grayish, the belly white. Nest built on ground at edge of marsh or lake. Eggs 2, elongate- ovate, deep brown or olive, rather sparsely speckled or spotted with dark brown and blackish.

a\ Tarsus shorter than middle toe without claw ; fore-neck blackish in summer. 6'. Distance from base of culmen to anterior point of loral feathers, above nostrils, greater than the distance from the latter point to anterior bor- der of nostrils. Summer plumage with head and neck black all round, the middle of the fore-neck and sides of lower neck each crossed by a bar or transverse series of white streaks. cK Tarsus shorter than exposed culmen ; bill in adult blackish (almost wholly deep black in summer) ; head and neck glossed with velvety green; white spots on scapulars broad as long; length 28.00-36.00; wing 13.00-15.25 (14.06) ; culmen 2.75-3.50 (3.07) ; depth of bill through base .90-1.05 (.96). Eggs 3.52 X 2.27. Ilab. Northern part of noi'thern hemisphere, breeding from northern United States

northward 7: U. imber (Gunn.). Loon.

c'. Tarsus longer than exposed culmen ; bill in adult whitish (almost wholly yellowish white in summer) ; head and neck glossed with velvety violet-blue ; white spots on scapulars decidedly longer than broad; length abou: 35.00-38.00 ; wing 14.85-15.45 (15.11); culmen 3.50-3.65 (3.59) ; depth of bill through base 1.00-1.20 (1.09). Hab. Western Arctic America and northeastern Asia.

8. U. adamsii (Gray). Tellow-billed Loon. t'. Di.stance from base of culmen to anterior point of loral feathers, not greater than distance from the latter point to anterior extremity of nostril. Summer plumage with upper part of head and hind part of neck gray- ish ; throat and fore-neck black, without white streaks, but several lon- gitudinal series of the latter down the side of the neck, between the black and the gray. cK Fore-neck and under side of neck glossed with velvety purple ; occi- put and hind-neck deep gray, almost plumbeous. Length 26.00- 29.00 ; wing 12.15-13.20 (12.55) ; culmen 2.50-2.85 (2.60) ; depth of bill at base, .75-.80 (.78). Eggs 3.09 X 1-96. Hab. Northern por- tions of northern hemisphere, breeding in Arctic regions ; in North America, south, in winter, to extreme northern United States, east of the Eocky Mountains.

9. U. arcticus (Linn.). Black-throated Loon.

8

NORTH AMERICAN BIKDS.

c*. Fore-neck and under side of head glossed with dull bronzy greenish, sometimes inclining to purplish'; occiput and hind-neck very palo smoky grayish, sometimes nearly white. Wing 11.20-12.25 (11.54) ; culmen 2.00-2.35 (2.15); depth ot bill at baso.55-.65 (.62). Eggs 3.11 X ^.92. Hah. Pacific coast of North America, from Alaska to Lower California, breeding far northward.

10. U. pacificus (Lawr.). Pacific Loon, a*. Tarsus longer than middle toe with claw. Fore-neck rich chestnut in summer ; head and neck plumbeous gray, the top of head and hind-neck streaked with white; upper parts speckled with white. Summer plumage: Throat and fore-neck plumbeous, like rest of head and neck, but marked down the mid- dle with a wedge-shaped patch or stripe of rich chestnut. Winter plumage and young: Throat and fore-neck white. Downy young: Above uniform dusky, or sooty slate ; lower parts paler and more grayish. Length 24.00- 27.00 ; wing 10.00-11.50 ; culmen 2.25 ; tarsus 2.75. Eggs 2.82 X 1-76. Hab. Northern portions of northern hemisphere, breeding in Arctic regions ; in North America, south, in winter, nearly across the United States.

11. U. lumme (Gunn.). Sed>tIiroated Loon.

Family ALCID-ffi.— The Auks. (Page 4.)

N'est a cavity among rocks, usually on face of cliffs. Egg single, variable as to form and color.

Genera.

fl'. Inner claw much larger and more strongly curved than the others ; corner of mouth with a thick naked skin, or " rosette ;" bill excessively compressed, nearly as deep as long, the terminal portion transversely grooved (except in young), the basal portion with several accessory deciduous pieces, cast at end of breeding season. (Subfamily Fratcrculina;.) 6'. Basal outline of permanent (terminal) portion of upper mandible convex ; lower mandible wholly destitute of grooves, in all stages ; grooves of upper mandible with concave side toward tip of bill. Nuptial ornaments : Deciduous nasal shield or saddle widest toward culmen, where forming an arched and much thickened ridge ; eyelids without horny append- ages ; on each side of head a large pendent tuft of lengthened, silky,

straw-colored feathers . Lunda. (Page 10.)

6*. Basal outline of permanent (terminal) portion of bill concave, or nearly straight and very oblique ; permanent (terminal) portion of lower man- dible grooved (except in young) ; grooves of the upper mandible with concave side toward base of the bill. Nuptial ornaments: Deciduous nasal shield widest toward nostril ; basal outline of upper mandible con- cave ; eyelids furnished with horny appendages ; head without orna- mental tufts of plumes Fratercula. (Page 11.)

ALCJD^.

9

reenish, Diy palo (11.54);

)■ -Eggs

laska to

fie Loon, ummer ; ced with •oat and the mid- plumage uniform h 24.00- 6. Hab.

;ed Loon.

ible as to

corner of nprcssed, except in i,st at end

) convex ; 'ooves of 'naments : B forming ■f append- led, silky, Page 10.) or nearly wer man- iible vrith Deciduous dible con- out orna- Page 11.)

a*. Inner claw not obviously different in size or shape from the others ; corner of mouth without thickened naked skin or " rosette." 6'. Anglo of chin much nearer to nostril than to tip of bill,

c*. Nostrils exposed, overhung by a more or less distinc*; horny scale, and feathers of lores never reaching to anterior end of nostrils; second- aries without white tips. (Subfamily Phalerince.) d}. Gonys occupying more than half the total length of the lower mandible, or else tip of upper mandible not abruptly dccurvcd from a long, straight cuimen. eS Distance from anterior border of nasal hollow to nearest loral feathers equal to one half or more than one half the dis- tance from the same point to the tip of the bill. (Phnlerece.') p. Bill about as long as the head (cuimen about 1.00) ; wing

more than 6.50 Cerorhinca. (Pago 11.)

/', Bill much shorter than head (cuimen less than .75) ; wing less than 6.50. g^. Upper mandible broader than deep at base ; cuimen nearly straight. (Wing about 5.00.)

Ptychoramphus. (Page 12.)

^'. Upper mandible higher than broad at base ; cuimen

decidedly curved.

h^. Lower mandible very narrow, strongly and very

regularly recurved, the tip acute ; edge of

upper mandible very regularly convex. (Wing

5.25-6.00.) Cyclorrhynchus. (Page 12.)

h?. Lower mandible more than half as deep as the upper, not recurved, or else tip not acute ; upper mandible with edge nearly straight or else not regularly convex. (Wing 5.25 or

less.) Simorhynchus. (Page 12.)

c*. Distance from anterior border of nasal hollow to nearest loral

feathers equal to not more than one-fourth the distance

from the same point to the tip of the bill. {Brachyramphece.)

p. Tarsi scutellate in front, much longer than the horny

portion of the commissure.

Synthliboramphus. (Page 13.) /'. Tarsi reticulate in front, not longer than horny portion of

commissure Brachyramphus. (Page 14.)

d}. Gonys occupying less than half the total length of the lower man- dible ; cuimen straight to near the tip, where abruptly decurved. (Cepphece.) Loral feathers forming an acute angle. (Wing 6.50-7.50 ;

cuimen 1.00 or more.) Cepphus. (Page 16.)

c*. Nostrils completely concealed or enclosed within a dense, velvety feathering, which extends from the lores to or beyond their an-

2

mmmmm

10 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

terior end ; secondaries sharply tipped with white. (Subfamily Alcince.) d}. Bill narrow, the culmen slightly or gently curved, both mandibles destitute of grooves; tail rounded, the feathers not pointed.

{^Uriaece.) Uria. (Page 17.)

6}. Bill very deep, much compressed, culmen strongly curved, and one

or both mandibles transversely or obliquely grooved (except in

young) ; tail graduated, the feathers pointed. (^Alceoe.')

&. Size medium (culmen less than 1.50) ; bill much shorter than

head, the lower mandible with not more than two grooves,

or none ; wings well developed, admitting of sustained flight.

Alca. (Page 18.)

e*. Size very large (culmen more than 3.00) ; bill as long as the

head, the lower mandible with numei-ous grooves ; wings

rudimentary, not admitting of flight.. Plautus. (Page 19.)

6'. Angle of chin much nearer tip of bill than to nostril. (Subfamily Allina:.)

Bill very short and broad, the culmen much curved; size very small

(wing less than 5.00) ; secondaries sharply tipped with white.

Alle.» (Page 19.)

' ill'

Genus LUND A Pallas. (Page 8, pi. III., fig. 1.)

Species.

Above uniform sooty black, lower parts sooty grayish, the feathers of breast and belly grayish white beneath the surface, this color sometimes showing through, and breaking the continuity of the dusky. Nuptial plumage : Anterior portion of side of head white; springing from each side of the crown, immediately above the eye, a thick pendent tuft of lengthened, silky, straw-colored feathers ; terminal half of bill bright red, basal portion olive-yellowish ; feet bright scarlet (in life). Winter plumage : Side of head wholly dusky, but lighter in region of insertion of the nuptial tufts, which are wholly absent ; basal deciduous horny covering of bill replaced by soft, dusky broAvn skin ; feet flesh-color (in life). Young, first winter : Similar to winter adult, but upper mandible destitute of grooves, and nuptial tufts present in a rudimentary condition but of a light brownish color; terminal portion of bill inclining to brownish orange-red. Young, first summer or autumn : Bill smaller, narrower, and browner in color ; nuptial tufts wanting. Downy young : Uniform dark sooty grayish, or blackish. Length 14.40-15.60 ; wing 7.75 ; culmen 1,30-1.45. Egg 2.86 X 192, more or less ovate, white (sometimes tinged with pale huffy, pinkish, or brownish), usually more or less marked round larger end with faint spots, splashes or streaks of pale brown, or lavender-gray, or both. Hab. Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from southern California to Alaska, and from Bering's Strait to Japan ; accidental in Bay of Fundy and Kennebec River, Maine 12. L. cirrhata Pall. Tufted Puffin.

1 Alls Link, Besohr. Nat. Samuil. Univ. Rustook, i. 1800, 40 (not p. 17, as given in A. 0. U. Clieolc List).

FRATERCULA.

11

ibfamily

landiblea pointed. ^igcl7.) aud one ixcept in

i-ter than grooves, ed flight. Page 18.) ig as the s; wings Page 19.) ' Allinai.) iiy small

Page 19.)

of breast through, ortion of ibove the

crminal (in life), ertion of g of bill s< ivinter : tial tufts il portion vm : Bill ly young :

; culmen with pale end with h. Hub. iska, and oc River, 9d Puffin.

lok List).

Genus FRATERCULA Brisson. (Page 8, pi. III., fig. 2.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Upper parts, together with a band across fore-neck, uniform blackish ; sides of head grayish or white ; lower parts pure white. Downy young, uniform sooty blackish, or dark sooty slate, the belly white. Egg shaped and colored like that of Lunda cirrhata.

a}. Grooves of the bill very oblique, broad, and distinct, the deciduous basal shields

occupying less than the basal half of the bill. Nuptial plumage : Chin and

whole throat grayish, the sides of the head gray ; horny process on upper

eyelid short, subconical ; length 11.50-13.75.

^'. Bill and general size smaller: Ciihnen 1.60-1.90, gonys 1.40-1.50, depth of

upper mandible at base .75-.90, of lower, .40-.50. Egg 2.46-1.74. Hab.

Coasts of the North Atlantic, from southern Greenland south, in winter,

in North America, to New Jersey, breeding as far south as the Bay

of Fundy 13. F. arctica (Linn.). Puffin.

i»*. Bill and general size larger: Culmen 2.00-2.30, gonys 1.40-1.60, depth of upper mandible at base .85-1.00, of lower, .70.-80. Egg 2.65-1.82. Hab. Coasts and islands of the Arctic Ocean, from Spitzbergen to northern and western Greenland.

13a. F. arctica glacialis (Temm.). Large-billed Puffin, a'. Grooves of the bill nearly vertical, narrow, and rather indistinct ; deciduous basal shields occupying much more than the basal half of the bill Nuptial plumage : AVhole throat blackish, the chin, onlj'-, gray ; sides of head white ; horny process on upper eyelid elongated, horn-like. Downy young : Uniform sooty blackish, the belly, abruptly, white. Length about 12.50-14.00 ; culmen 2.00-2.25, gonys 1.60-1.70, depth of upper mandible 1.15-1.25, of lower, .70- .80. Egg 2.74-1.84. Hab. Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from British Columbia to the Kurilo Islands.

14. F. corniculata (Naum.). Horned Puffin.

Genus CERORHINCA Bonaparte. (Pago 9, pi. IV., fig. 1.)

Species.

Bill much compressed, longer than deep, the culmen regularly curved, but gonys nearly straight; upper parts ui 'form dusky; under portion and sides of head and nock, down to the chest, together with sides, smoky plumbeous ; rest of lower parts white, usually clouded with smoky gray ; a row of narrow, pointed, white feathers along each side of occiput, commencing just above and behind tho eye ; another row of similar but larger feathers across cheeks, from near corner of mouth. Nuptial plumage : Base of upper mandible Burmountod by a compressed upright horn, tho base of which clasps the mandible as a saddle, down to, and on- closing the nostrils. Whiter plumage : Similar to nuptial dress, but breast more

IGBM

;^lll

12

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

uniformly gray, the belly more uniform white, and the horn-liko pi'occss at base of upper mandible entirely absent. Young : Similar to winter adult, but white fila- mentous feathers of head wanting, and bill smaller and darker in color. Downy young : Uniform sooty grayii^h brown, very similar to corresponding stage of Lunda cirrhata, but rather lighter in color and with more slender bill. Length 14.00- 15.50, wing 7.25, culmen, from cere, or anterior edge of horn, 1.00. Egg 2.70 X 1-82, similar in form, color, etc., to those of Lunda and species of Fratcrcula. Ilab. Coasts and islands of the North Pacific, from Lower California (resident) to Japan.

15. C. monocerata (Pall.). Bhinoceros Anklet.

Genus PTYCHORAMPHUS Brandt. (Pago 9, pi. VL, fig. 3.)

Species.

Above uniform slaty blackish, changing gradually into plumbeous on sides of head and neck, throat, and fore-neck ; a white spot on lower eyelid ; lower parts white, the sides (beneath wings) plumbeous; length 8.00-9.50, wing 4.75-5.25, cul- men .75. Egg 1.83 X 1-34, ovate, pure white. Hah. Pacific coast of North America, Irom Aleutian Islands to Lower California.

16. P. aleuticus (Pall.). Cassin's Anklet.

Genus CYCLORRHYNCHUS Kaup. (Page 9, pi IV., fig. 5.)

Species.

Above uniform blackish slate, beneath white; bill orange-red. Nuptial plu- mage : Throat, fore-neck, and sides dusky ; a lino of narrow pointed white feather.'? starting just below the oj'o, and extending back across the oar-coverts. Winter plumage : Similar to summer dress, but throat, fore-neck, and sides partly or en- tirely white ; white feathers behind eyes wanting? Young ('I) : Similar to winter adult, but bill duller i*ed (or inclining to brownish), and entire lower parts, including throat and fore-neck, continuous white;' length 9.00-10.40, wing 5.40-G.OO, culmen al)out .00. Egg 2.12 X 1-46, dear bluish white. Ifab. Coasts of the North Pacific from Sitka to the Kurile Islands.... 17. C. psittaculus (Pall.). Faroqnet Anklet

Genus SIMORHYNCHUS Merrem. (Page 9, pi. IV., figs. 2 to 4.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Upper parts blackish, the scapulars sometimes mixed with white. Adults with a series of slender, pointed white feathers commencing beneath the eye and extending backward across the oar-coverts. Eggs ovate, pure white, sometimes faintly tinged with bluish.

a*. Wing more than 4.00; adult with a recurved frontal crest; lower parts uniform sooty gray, the belly sometimes whitish ; no white on scapulars.

' The seasonal nnd other ehangos of plumngo in this species are not well umlorstood, anrl we have not tho mnterial with which to detormine them. The above may, therefore, bo nut quite oorreot in some particulars.

SYNTIILIBORAMPHUS.

13

baso of liito fila- Downy )f Lunda ,h 14.00- ) X 1.82, 1». Coasts 1. B Auklet.

sides of TQv parts 5.25, cul- Aracrica,

B Auklet.

iptial plu- feathers Winter ly or on- to winter including ), culmen h Pacific )t Auklet

4.)

lOS mixed imencing ato, pure

i uniform

javo not tho irtloulars.

b^. Wing 5.00 or more ; adult in breeding season with several conspicuous de- ciduous plates on basal portion of bill, including a roundish or semicir- cular piece at corner of mouth ; no white feathers between bill and eye ; belly never whitish. (Subgenus Simorhynchus.) Breeding plumage: Bill bright orange-red, the tip horn-colored. Winter plumage : Bill horn- colored, much smaller, through loss of the deciduous pieces. Young : Frontal crest and white feather? beneath eye wanting, or but slightly developed; bill much smaller, dusky brownish. Length 8.50-10.80; wing about 5.25. Egg 2.14-1.49. Hab. Coasts of the North Pacific from Kauiak, Unalashka, and the Prybilof Islands through the Aleutian chain to Kamtschatka and northern Japan.

18. S. cristatellus (Pall.). Crested Auklet. ft'. Wing less than 4.50 ; adult in breeding season without conspicuous deciduous plates on basal portion ; belly whitish ; a moi'e or less distinct patch of narrow, pointed, white feathers between bill and eye (indistinct or ob- solete in young). (Subgenus Phaleris Temminck.) Breeding plumage : Bill dull purplish red, the tip whitish. Winter plumage not materially different. Young : Frontal crest and white feathers on sides of head wanting or barely indicated ; bill dusky. Doxony young : Uniform sooty slate, lighter beneath. Length 7.10-8.30, wing 4.10-4.25, culmen .35-.40. Hab. Coasts of the North Pacific, from Unalashka through the Aleutian chain to Kamtschatka... 19. S. pygmaeus (Gmel.). Whiskered Auklet. fl'. Wing not more than 4.00; adult without frontal crest; lower parts white, some- times blotched with dusky; scapulars with more or less white; baso of bill with a small compressed knob on top. (Subgenus Ciceronia Reich.) Breed- ing plumage: Lower parts white, more or less spotted or blotched with dusky, this often forming a distinct band across tho chest. Winter plumage : Lower parts, including sides of neck, entirely white ; white ornamental feathers of forehead, etc., usually less developed. Young : Similar to winter plumage, but bill smaller, scapulars more extensively white, and white orna- mental feathers of forehead, etc., wanting. Downy young : Uniform sooty slate, paler and grayer on lower parts. Length 5.50-7.20, wing 3.50-4.00, culmen .35-.40. Eggs 1.58 X 110. Hab. Coasts] of the North Pacific, from Japan and southern Alaska to the Aleutian and Prybilof Islands.

20. S. pusillus (Pall.). Least Auklet.

Genus SYNTHLIBORAMPHUS Brandt. (Page 9, pi. VI., fig. 1.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Above plumbeous, beneath white. Breeding plumage : Chin and part, or whole, of throat dusky ; top of head with a broad white stripe along each side ; sides, from nock to flanks, uniform sooty blackish. Winter plumage : Whole throat white, the chin plumbeous ; no white stripes on top of head ; sides and flanks white, striped with slaty.

14

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

a}. Nevei' crested. Breeding plumage : Chin, throat, and fore-neck, with top and sides of head, sooty black ; sides of neck and a broad stripe along each side of occiput, pure white ; white stripes on side of occiput not extending forward of the eye ; upper back streaked laterally with white. Winter plumage : Whole throat white ; stripes on sides of occiput and streaks on upper part of back wanting. Length 9.50-10.89, wing 5.25-5.50, culmen .60. Egg 2.42 X 1-55, elongate-ovate, buffy (variable in shade from nearly white to almost an isabella-color), speckled or otherwise marked all over with deep brown and lavender-gray. Mab. Coasts of the North Pacific, from Japan and southern Alaska (Sitka) northward 21. S. antiquus (Gmel.). Ancient Mnrrelet.

a'. Crested in the breeding season. Breeding plumage : Fore part of cx'own with a loose crest of slender, lengthened feathers slightly curved or nearly straight ; upper half of throat velvety plumbeous, with a truncated posterior outline; ear-coverts deep plumbeous ; white stripes on sides of toj) of head extending forward far beyond the eye ; upper back not streaked with white. Winter plumage : Whole throat and malar region white, the chin, only, plumbeous ; no white on top of head, and no crest. Downy young : Above brownish gray, the back and rump indistinctly streaked with grayish white ; lower parts, including chin, entirely pure white. Length about 9,50-11.00, 'ving 5.10- 5.50. Hab. Coasts of the North Pacific, from Japan (and Washington Ter- ritory ?) northward. (Very doubtfully American.)

22. S. wumizusume (Temm.). Temminok's Murrelet.

Genus BRACHYRAMPHUS Brandt. (Page 9, pi. VI., fig. 2.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Size small (wing less than 5.50) ; bill small and slender, much shorter than head (not longer than the short tarsus), compressed, and pointed ; culmen gently curved, gonys nearly straight ; plumage very plain, with- out ornamental feathers about head at any season.

a\ Tarsus shorter than middle too, without claw.

6'. Exposed culmen about equal to inner toe, without claw ; secondaries and outer tail-feathers entirely dusky, c'. Culmen .70 or less. Summer adult : Above dusky, barred more or less with deep rusty ; beneath mixed white and sooty brown, in varying relative proportion. Winter plumage : Above, interrupted by a white collar across nape ; scapulars mixed with white, and feathers of back, etc., tipped with plumbeous ; entire lower parts pure white, the orbital and superciliary regions dusky, like top of head, and outermost feathers of flanks striped with dark grayish. Young : Above uniform dusky, with indistinct white collar and scapular patches ; lower parts white, transve-sely mottled with dark sooty ; bill much smaller and weaker than in adult. Length 9.50-10.00, wing about 5.00, culmen .60-.70, tarsus .70, middle toe .92-1.00. Egg

1,1

BRACHYRAMPHVS.

15

top and b side of forward ; Whole of back I X 1.55, moat an own and jouthern Hurrelet. n with a straight ; outline; xtending Winter imbcous ; ish gray, er parts, ng 5.10- ;ton Ter-

Uurrelet.

I slender,

ised, and 'I

in, with- 1

u'ies and 4.

0 or loss 1

1 varying |

y a white '1

,thers of %

'Q white, 1 »ead, and |

Young : M

scapular m

fk sooty ; 1

50-10.00, d|

.00. Egg S

2.14 X 1-42, ovate, ground-color huffy, speckled or otherwise marked with various shades of brown. Hab. Pacific coast of North America, from southern California to western Alaska.

23. B. marmoratus (Gmel.). Harbled Murrelet. c*. Culmen .75. Summer adult : Similar to corresponding stage of B. mar- moratus, but markings of upper parts buffy and dull whitish, instead of deep rusty. Wing 5.50, culmen .75, tarsus .70, middle toe .95. Hab. Coasts of northeastern Asia, from Japan to Kamtschatka.

B. perdix (Fall.). Partridge Murrelet.*

I*. Exposed culmen not more than two-thirds as long as inner too without claw ; secondaries broadly tipped with white, and outer tail-feathers partly or wholly white, c'. Tarsus .60 or more. Summer adult : Above plumbeous, thickly marked with irregular, mostly longitudinal, spots of buff; lower parts chiefly white, the chest and sides washed with buff and irregularly spotted and barred with dusky ; belly more faintly marked with more regular crescentic bars. Winter plumage : Above glossy plumbeous, the back and rump very narrowly and indistinctly barred with white ; scap;^ lars chiefly white ; sides of head (including lores and supox'ciliary region), a narrow collar round hind-neck, and entire lower parts, pure white, the sides of the breast crossed by a broad band of slate- gray, narrowing to\vard the middle of the chest. Wing 5.10-5.80, culmen .35-.45, depth of bill at base .20-.22, tarsus .60-.65, middle toe .85-.95. Sab. Unalashka, through Aleutian chain to Kamtschatka and northern Japan.

24. B. kittlitzii (Brandt). Kittlitz's Mnrrelet. o' Tarsus .50. Wing 5.25, culmen .50, tarsus .50. Summer plumage : Above grayish brown, head and neck spotted with white ; beneath white, waved and spotted with brown. Ifab. San Bias, western Mexico.

B. brevirostris (Via.). Short-billed Murrelet.*

a'. Tarsus as long ps or longer than middle toe without claw.

b\ Lining of wing white ; above plain dark slaty, beneath entirely pure white ; length 9.60-10.50, wing 4.50-6.25, culmen .70-.80, tarsus .90-.95, middle toe .85. Hab. Southern California to Cape St. Lucas.

25. B. hypoleucus Xantus. Xantus's Mnrrelet. 6'. Lining of wing smoky gray, or slaty ; in plumage otherwise like B. hypo- leucus; length about 10.26, wing 4.60, culmen .78-.80, tarsus .88-.90, middle toe .80-88. Egg 2.03 X 1-40, ovate, ground-color buffy, isabella- color, or fawn-color, thickly sprinkled, speckled, or otherwise marked with dark brown. Hab. Lower California (vicinity of Cape St. Lucas).

26. B. craveri (Salvad.). Craveri's Murrelet.

• Ccpphiis perdix Pam.ar, Zoog. Roaso-Aa. li. 1826, 361, pi. 80. Drachyramphm perdix Stejn. Zeltsohr. Ges. Cm. m. 1888, 2in, p. 7.

» Vria breviroitrii Vio., Zool. Jour. iv. 1828, 36i'. Possibly the same as B. kittlitxii BnANDT.

'7^

16

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

a

Genus CEPPHUS Pallas. (Page 9, pi. II., fig. 3.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Summer adults uniform black, with or without white on wings. Winter specimens white, varied above (sometimes below also) with black, the wings and tail as in summer. Young similar to winter adults, but white of wings varied with dusky, the quills marked at tips with white. Bill black ; feet bright I'ed in summer, pinkish in winter. Etjg varying from ovate to elongate- ovate, greenish white or huffy white, heavily spotted or otherwise conspicuously marked with dark brown and lavender-gray.

A large white patch on outer surface of wing. b^. Under wing-coverts pure white.

c*. Greater wing-coverts white to the extreme base, sometimes a little dusky along the basal portion of the shafts. Adult in summer : Uni- form blackish, except a large roundish or oval patch of pure white on the wing, including the greater, middle, and posterior lesser coverts, these feathers all white to the base; axillars, under M'ing- coverts, and basal half, or more, of inner webs of quills, pure white. Winter plumage : Wings as in summer ; rest of the plumage pure white, the upper parts varied with black. Young : Similar to winter plumage, but white wing-patch broken by blackish tips to all the leathers ; secondaries and primary coverts marked with white at ends, and lower parts indistinctly barred with dusky. Downy young : Uniform sooty blackish, paler and more grayish below. Length about 12.50-13.50, wing 6.25-7.20, culmen 1.00-1.20, gonys .50, depth of bill at nostril .35-.40. Egg 2.38 X 1-36. Hab. Circumpolar sea- coasts, south in North America, in winter, to New Jersey and Norton Sound, Alaska. (Breeding south to Hudson's Bay and coast

of Labrador.) 28. C. mandtii (Light.). Mandt's Guillemot.

<?. Greater wing-coverts with at least their basal half black, this often showing as a narrow bar beyond tips of middle coverts ; plumage otherwise as in C mandtii, and measurements nearly the same, but bill larger and stouter; length 12.00-13.80, culmen 1.20-1.30, gonys .55-.60, depth of bill at nostril .40-.45. Egg 2.25 X 1-55. Hab. Coasts of northern Europe; also fi'om southern Greenland along Labrador coast and south, in winter, to New Jersey; breeding from Newfoundland and southern Labrador to vicinity of EastpDrt,

Maino(?) 27. C. grylle (Linn.). Black Onillemot.

fc'. Under wing-coverts smoky gray.

Greater wing-coverts black basally, this increasing in extent toward edge of the wing, where occupyiufjj almost the whole extent of the outermost feather, thus producing a broad black " wedge" between the two white areas ; plumage otherwise as in C. grylle, with similar seasonal changes, etc. ; length 13.00-14.00, wing 6.90-7.30, culmen

1

URIA.

17

1.20-1.40, gonys .55-.60, depth of bill at nostril .40-.42. Egg 2.41 X 1.64. Hab. Coasts of the North Pacific, from southern California to the Aleutian Islands, and across to Kamtschatka and northern Japan.

29. C. columba Fall. Pigeon Onillemot. No white on wings.

6'. A whitish area surrounding the eye; plumage otherwise dark sooty. (Winter plumage and young unknown.) Length about 14.50, wing about 7.76, culmen 1.55-1.70, gonys .75-.80, depth of bill at nostril .50. Hab. Coa^s of northeastern Asia, from northern Japan to Sea of Okhotsk, Kurile Islands, and Bering Island (accidental ?) ; Unalashka ? ?

C. carbo Pall. Sooty Guillemot.

P. No white anywhere, the plumage entirely dark sooty ; about the size of C.

carbo. Hab. High north Atlantic (Iceland, Greenland, and west side of

Cumberland Gulf). — . C. motzfeldi Benick. Black-winged Onillemot.

Genus URIA Brisson. (Page 10, pi. II., fig. 2.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Cuimen as long as or longer than the tarsus ; bill much ("impressed, the gonys more or less concave, and nearly as long as the culmen ; cutting- edge of upper mandible notched near tip, its basal portion more or less thickened or swollen ; a distinct longitudinal furrow in the feathering behind eyes ; upper parts uniform dusky, the secondaries sharply tipped with white; lower parts white. Summer plumage : Sides of head and neck, chin, throat, and fore-neck, uniform velvety brown. Winter phimage : Chin, throat, fore-neck, and sides of head and neck white, with a dusky stripe behind eye. Young : Similar to winter plumage, but no white on side of occiput, and that of fore-neck faintly mottled with dusky ; bill smaller. Downy young : Head, neck, and upper parts smoky grayish brown, the head and neck finely streaked with dingy whitish ; lower parts whitish centrally. Egg as large as that of a goose, elongate or ovate pear-shaped, and excessively vari- able in color, the ground-color varying from white to ci-eam-color, pinkish, pale blue, and yellowish green (the last two colors probably most common), and varie- gated with variously-formed marks of black and brown.

a^. Depth of bill at angle less than one-third the length of the culmen ; top of head

and hind-neck smoky brown ; basal portion of cutting-edge of upper mandible

always dusky or similar in color to rest of the mandible. Summer plumage :

Sides of head and neck, chin, throat, and fore-neck, velvety smoky grayish

brown, sometimes marked with a narrow white postocular line, connected

with a white ring around eye." (Length 15.00-18.00.)

b\ Wing 7.75-8.30 (7.99), culmen 1.70-1.90 (1.81), gonys 1.05-1.20 (1.14), depth

of bill through angle .50-.60 (.52), tarsus 1.40-1.60 (1.51), middle toe

1.60-1.75 (1.70). Egg 3.26 X 1.99. Hab. Coasts of the North Atlantic,

' Such spociincns constitute the U. ringvia BhOnn., by some authors considered a distinct species, and pos- sibly entitled to such ranlt. Its proper status is a matter of doubt, and is a fit subject for special investigation. Such specimens are only Itnown from the North Atlantic.

8

iJTMm

18 • NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

south, in winter, to New England, on Amorican side; breeding from

Nova Scotia northward 30. U.troile (Linn.). Mnrre.

b\ Wing 7.85-8.80 (8.30), culmen 1.60-2.50 (1.86), gonys 1.15-1.40 (1.27), depth of bill through angle .55-.62 (.57), tarsus 1.35-1.60 (1.50), middle toe 1.65-1.85 (1.74). Egg 3.24 X 2.01. Hab. Pacific coast of North America, south to southern California.

30a. U. troile californica (Bryant). California Mnrre.

a^. Depth of bill at angle more than one-third the length of the culmen ; top of head

and hind-neck sooty black ; basal portion of cutting-edge of upper mandible

thickened, and conspicuously light-colored in adult. Summer plumage : Sides

of head and neck, chin, throat, and fore-neck, velvety snufF-brown. (Length

14.50-18.50.)

b\ Wing 7.45-8.80 (8.24), culmen 1.40-1.50 (1.45), gonys .75-90 (.83), depth of

bill through angle .52-.58 (.55), tarsus 1.40-1.55 (1.45), middle toe 1.65-

1.75 (1.70). Egg 3.16 X 2.03. Hab. Arctic Ocean and coasts of the

North Atlantic, south, in winter, to New Jei'sey ; breeding from Gulf of

St. Lawrence northward.:.... 31. U. lomvia (Linn.). Brunnich's Knrre.

b\ Wing 8.15-9.25 (8.71), culmen 1.45-1.75 (1.65), gonys .85-1.00 (.92), depth

of bill through angle .55-.60 (.58), tarsus 1.45-1.60 (1.51), middle toe 1.70-

1.90 (1.81). Egg 3.21 X 2.01. Hab. Coasts and islands of Bering's Sea,

and Aleutian chain, fi'om Kadiak to Kamtschatka.

31a. U. lomvia arra (Fall.). Fallas's Mnrre.

Genus ALCA Linn^us. (Page 10, pi. V., fig. 2.)

Species.

Upper parts uniform black, the secondaries sharply tipped with white ; lower parts pure white. Summer plumage : Head and neck (except top of head and hind- neck) uniform velvety snuff-brown ; a white line fi*om the base of the culmen to the eye ; bill black, both mandibles crossed about the middle by a white bar. Winter adult : Whole under portion of head, fore-neck, and space behind ear-coverts, white ; no white line between bill and eye ; bill as in summer, but without basal lamina. Young : Similar in plumage to winter adult ; but bill smaller, without grooves, and lacking the white bar. Downy young : Head, neck, and lower parts plain dull whitish, usually more or less tinged above with brownish buif ; back, rump, and flanks varying from pale brownish buff (the down dusky immediately beneath the surface), more decidedly brownish posterior?^ , to dark sooty brown ; posterior and lateral lower parts more or less tinged with sooty brownish or brownish buff. Length 16.00-18.00, wing 8.00-8.50, tail 3.50, culmen 1.26, greatest depth of bill .90. Egg 3.06 X 1-89, ovate or elongate pear-shaped, buffy, buffy whitish, pure white, or white faintly tinted with bluish or greenish, very heavily spotted with dark brown round larger end, and marked with smaller spots elsewhere, of brown and lavender- gray. Hab. Coasts of the North Atlantic, south, in winter, to southern New Eng- land ; breeding from eastern Maine northward.

32. A. torda Linn. Razor-billed Ank.

PLAUTUS.

19

Genus PLAUTUS BrUnnich. (Page 10, pi. V., fig. 1.)

Species.

Upper parts uniform black, the secondaries sharply tipped with white ; lower parts pure white. Summer plumage : Chin, throat, fore-neck, and sides of head and neck, velvety dark snuff-brown, or soft blackish brown ; a large oval patch of white covering the greater part of the space between bill and eyes ; bill black, its grooves whitish. Length about 28.00-30.00, wing 5.75, culmen 3.15-3.50, greatest depth of bill about 1.50. Egg (average size) 4.67 X 2.91, pyriform-ovate, pale olive-buify, variously marked with brown and black. Hab. Believed to be now extinct ; for- merly (previous to 1844), coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the American side ; south to Massachusetts Bay, north to the Arctic circle.

33. P. impennis (Linn.). Great Ank.

Genus ALLE Link. (Page 10, pi. VL, fig. 4.)

Species.

Head, neck, and upper parts black, the secondaries sharply tipped with white, and scapulars streaked with the same; lower parts white, the flanks striped with dusky. Summer plumage : Sides of head and neck, with chin, throat, and chest, uniform dark sooty brown. Winter adult : Chin, throat, etc., white, this color ex- tending upward toward occiput ; feathers of chest dusky at base only. Young : Similar to winter adult, but bill smaller and weaker, and colors duller. Downy young : Uniform, sooty slate-color, paler or more grayish below. Length 7.25-9.15, wing 4.50-4.75, culmen .50. Egg 1.90 X 1-29, ovate, very pale bluish green or green- ish white. Hab. Arctic Ocean and coasts of the North Atlantic ; on the American side south, in wintei", to New Jersey ; accidental on Detroit Eiver.

34. A. alle (Linn.). Dovekie.

20

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

Order LONGIPENNES — The Long-winged

Swimmers. (P^ge i.)

Families.

«'. Bill with the lower mandible not longer than the upper, and not excessively compressed. 6^ Covering of the upper mandible composed of three distinct pieces — a ter- minal unguis, or hook, a lateral piece, and a cere-like piece saddled upon the culmen, its edge overhanging the nostril.

Stercorariidae. (Page 20.) b\ Covering of upper mandible consisting of a single piece, through which the

nostrils are pierced Laridse. (Page 23.)

rt*. Bill with lower mandible much longer than the upper, both mandibles excessively- compressed, like a thin knife-blade, for terminal portion.

Rynchopidae. (Page 48.)

1)

Family STERCORARIID^.— The Skuas and Jaegers. (Page 20.)

Genera.

a}. Size large (in bulk equal to the largest gulls), and form robust ; depth of bill at base equal to not less than half the length of the upper mandible, measured along the side ; tarsus shorter than middle toe with claw ; tail short, nearly even, the middle pair of feathers scarcely projecting beyond the rest ; color dull brownish, sometimes streaked (never barred) with paler, the base of the primaries with a whitish patch Megalestris. (Page 20.)

a'. Size medium or rather small (not exceeding the medium-sized gulls), and form more slender and graceful ; depth of bill at base less than half the length of the upper mandible, measured along the side ; tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe with claw ; middle rectrices in the adult projecting far beyond the rest ; color plain slaty or dusky, often varied with white or yellowish, in the adult, dusky barred with paler in young ; no white at base of primaries.

Stercorarius. (Page 21.)

Genus MEGALESTRIS Bonaparte. (Page 20, pi. VII., fig. 1.)

Species.

Common Characters. — General color nearly uniform grayish brown or sooty, usually indistinctly streaked with light rusty, or cinnamon, especially around neck and on back ; quills whitish at base. Eggs olive, spotted with brown.

STERCORARIUS.

21

a}. Axillars and under wing-coverts sooty, with little or no rufous.

6'. Below graj'ish brown, with more or less distinct lighter, more cinnamon- colored, spots or dashes on fore-neck and chest. Adult : Dull brown, the scapulars, interscapulars, and wing-coverts striped medially with pale cinnamon, the neck streaked with the same; lower parts indistinctly striped with grayish brown and pale cinnamon, the former prevailing (sometimes uniform). Sometimes (in melanistic specimens?) uniform dusky or sooty brown, except white wing-spot. Young : Similar to adult, but more distinctly streaked with yellowish, especially on head and nock. Downy young (pi M. skua) : Uniform " brownish or cinnamon-gray . . . rather darker in color on the upper parts than on the under surface of the body." (Dresser.) Length about 22.00, wing 15.75-16.15 (16.91), cul- men 2.05-2.10 (2.06), depth of bill at base .80-.88 (.82), tarsus 2.40-2.75 (2.63), middle toe 2.15-2.55 (2.40). Eggs 2-3, 2.74 X 1-96, ovate or short-ovate, light brown or olive, rather sparsely blotched and spotted with deep brown. Hab. Coasts and islands of North Atlantic, south to Spain and (casually) Massachusetts ; California ?

35. M. skua (BRt)NN.). Skna. i'. Darker colored, larger, and with stouter bill; under parts uniform dark sooty, the neck however sometimes streaked with yellowish ; wing 16.05-16.90 (16.29), culmon 2.20-2.85 (2.38), depth of bill at base .95-1.00 (.98), tarsus 2.70-3.20 (2.95), middle toe 2.55-2.80 (2.67). Hab. Antarctic seas, north to Cape of Good Hope and Capo Horn.

M. antarcticus (Less.). Antarctic Skua.' rt'. Axillars and under wing-coverts chiefly deep cinnamon. Lower parts uniform dull rusty or cinnamon.

M. chilensis (Bonap.). Chilian Skua.^

Genus STERCORARIUS Brisson. (Page 20, pi. VIL, fig. 2.)

Eggs 2-3, ovate or short-ovate, ground-color varying from pale greenish olive and pale brown to very deep olive, relieved by a greater or less amount of spotting of deep brown, usually mixed with stone-grayish.

Species.

a}. Culmen 1.45 or more, tarsus 2.00 or more, wing usually more than 13.50 ; length- ened middle tail-feathers broad and rounded at ends. Light phase, adult : Top and sides of head, with upper parts, sooty slate or dusky ; rest of head and neck, including nape, together with lower jiarts, white, tho ear-covert region tinged with straw-yellow, and the lower tail-coverts slaty. Young : Head, neck, and lower parts dull buff, everywhere barred with dusky ; upper parts brownish dusky, tho feathers of back, etc., tipped with buif, the rump and upper tail-coverts spotted with same. Bark phase, adult : Entirely dark sooty

1 Lestrit antarcticut Less,, Trait6 Orn. 1831, 616. Megalestria antarcticut GIocld, P. Z, 8. 1869, 98. ' LeitrU antaretieut, var. b. chileniia Bonap., Consp. iU 1857, 207.

ii VI

22 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

slate, with a plumbeous cast in certain lights. Young : Entirely sooty slate, the lower parts more or less ban*ed with buff. [Note. — The above so-called light and dark " phases" represent the normal extremes of coloration. These extremes, which are represented in comparatively a small number of speci- mens, are connected by every possible intermediate condition of plumage, specimens appi'oximating to the lighter extreme, but diflfering in having the lower parts (especially chest and sides) and nape more or loss barred with dusky, being most numerous.] Length about 20.00-23.00, wing 13.50-14.00, middle tail-feathers 8.00-9.00, culmen 1.45-1.75, tarsus 2.00-2.10, middle too 1.60-1.75. Eggs 2.35 X 1-63. Hah. Northern portions of northern hemi- sphere, along sea-coasts and larger inland waters, breeding far northward ; in America, south, in winter, to New Jersey and the Great Lakes.

36. S. pomarinus (Temm.). Fomarine Jaeger. a'. Culmen less than 1.45, tarsus less than 2.00, wing usually less than J3.50 ; lengthened middle tail-feathers narrow and pointed at ends. 6'. Length of nasal shield, from base of unguis to frontal feathers, decidedly .greater than from the former point to tip of upper mandible. In freshly- killed or living specimens, tarsi black, like the feet. Light phase, adult : Top of head and lores grayish brown ; rest of head, neck, and lower parts white, the lower tail-coverts grayish, the head and neck tinged with straw-yellow ; upper parts uniform slaty. Young : Head and neck streaked with dusky and buffy, the latter usually predominating ; lower parts barred or spotted with the same ; upper parts dusky, the feathers bordered terminally with pale fulvous or buff". Dark phase, adult : En- tire plumage uniform sooty slate-color, the quills darker. Young : Pre- vailingly dark brownish slate, wings and tail darker, the middle of neck, all round, indistinctly sti-eaked with whitish, and lower parts, except chest and upper breast, barred with the same ; feathers of upper parts narrowly tipped with bufty. Downy young (dark phase ?) : Uniform silky grayish brown, lighter on lower parts. Length about 15.50-21.00, wing 11.80-13.50 (12.67), longest tail-feathers 4.90-6.25 (5.40), culmen 1.15-1.40 (1.27), tarsus 1.50-1.85 (1.70), middle toe 1.20-1.45 (1.34). Eggs 2.30 X 1-64. Hah. Northern portions of northern hemisphere, breeding toward Arctic regions ; south, in winter, to New York, Illinois, Colorado, and even coast of Brazil..37. S. part^isiticus (Linn.). Parasitic Jaeger. 6'. Length of nasal shield, measured from bap;> of unguis to frontal feathers, not greater than the distance from th • former point to the tip of the upper mandible. In freshly-killed or Living specimens, tarsi light bluish, in marked contrast with black of feet.' Adult : ' Top and sides of head sooty black ; rest of head and neck, including ear-coverts and nape, straw-yellow, paler on throat ; upper parts uniform smoky plumbeous or

1 In dried skins this color usually changes to a light olive or yellowish, or in very rare instances becomes so darkened that the line of demarcation cannot be detected.

* So far as known, this species has no dark phase like S. paratiticuB.

LARIDjE.

23

slate-color, more ashy on back ; quills and tail-feathers blackish toward tips ; chest (sometimes breast also), and more rarely the belly, white, shading into grayish, the under tail-coverts, sides, and flanks (usually belly also) uniform slate-gray. Length 20.00-23.00, wing 11.55-12.85 (12.25), longest tail-feathers 10.50-14.50 (12.89), culmen 1.10-1.30 (1.19), tarsus 1.50-1.80 (1.66), middle too 1.08-1.30 (1.20). Eggs 2.16 X 1.54. Hab. Northern parts of northern hemisphere, breeding in Arctic regions; south, in winter, to northern United States.

38. S. longicaudus Yieill. Long-tailed Jaeger.

Family LARID.^. — The Gulls and Terns. (Page 20.)

Genera.

Depth of bill decidedly greater at the angle than at the nostril ; terminal por- tion of oiilmen decidedly curved ; angle of lower mandible always distinct, often very prominent ; tail usually even, but sometimes slightly oniarginato (Bissa), deeply emarginate or forked (JCema), or graduated (Rhodostethia). Size extremely variable (wing 8.75-20.00). (Subfamily Larince.) b^. Tarsus roughened or serrate behind.

Tail even ; tarsus shorter than middle toe, with claw ; hind toe perfectly developed, but jmall ; size medium (wing about 13.25) ; color entirely

white, the young scantily spotted with dusky Gavia. (Page 24.)

t'. Tarsus not roughened or serrate behind.

c^. Hind toe rudimentary or altogether absent.

Tail slightly emarginate; tarsus shorter than middle toe, without claw ; size medium (wing about 12.00-13.00) ; adult white, with bluish gray mantle ;* young, similar to adult, but hind neck with a blackish patch, and lesser wing-coverts sometimes (in one spe- cies) also with a black patch Rissa. (Page 24.)

c'. Hind toe perfectly developed, though small.

d^ Culmen decidedly more than two-thirds as long as tarsus.

e*. Tail even ; size, color, and all other characters extremely vari- able Larus. (Pago 25.)

e*. Tail deeply emarginate or forked Xema. (Page 37.)

cZ*. Culmen decidedly less than two-thirds as long as tarsus.

Tail graduated, the lateral feathers 75-1.25 shorter than the

middle pair Rhodostethia. (Page 37.)

Depth of bill at angle less than at middle of nostrils ; terminal portion of culmen straight, or but slightly curved, the bill being nari'ow and pointed ; angle of lower mandible seldom prominent ; tail mors or less forked (except in Anous). Size extremely variable (wing 6.50-17.50). (Subfamily Sternince.)

1 This is a special term used, chiefly in descriptions of birds of this family, to designate the back, scapu- lars, and wings, when together colored differently from th«5 hsad, neck, rump, tail, and lower parts.

,!'!,'

24 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

6*. Tail more or less forked, the outer feather longest.

&. Tail much more than one-third as long as wing, usually (except in suh- genus Thalassetis) forked for more than one-fifth its total length, the outer feathers narrow and pointed at tips ; webs of feet occu- pying more than half the interdigital space, d*. Depth of bill at base equal to one-third the length of the exposed culmen ; gonys shorter than outer toe, without claw.

Gelochelidon. (Page 38.) <P. Depth of bill at base less than one-third the length of the exposed culmen ; gonys longer than inner toe, without claw.

Sterna. (Page 39.) c'. Tail little more than one-third as long as wing, forked for less than one- fifth its total length, the outer feathers broad and rounded at tip ; webs of feet occupying less than half the interdigital space.

Hydrochelidon. (Page 4(5.) i". Tail graduated Anous. (Page 47.)

Genus GAVIA Boie. (Page 23, pi. VIII., fig. 1.)

Species.

Adult : Entirely pure white, the shafts of the primaries pale yellowish ; bill yel- lowish ; feet Mack. Yoxing : Similar to adult, but quills, primary coverts, and ttiil- feathers each marked with a spot of dusky at tip, the lesser wing-coverts spotted with same. Length 15.00-19.50, wing about 13.25, culmen 1.40. Hab. Arctic Ocean, south, in winter, along Atlantic coast of North America to Newfoundland and New Brunswick 39. G. alba (Gukn.). Ivory Gull.

Genus RISSA Leach. (Page 23, pi. VIII., fig. 2.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Adults with head, neck, rump, upper tail-coverts, tail, tips of secondaries, and entire lower parts pure white; mantle bluish gray, the quills varied with white r.nd black; bill yellowish, feet blackish or bright red in life. Young similar to adults, but 1 ind-ncck crossed b}' a blackish collar or patch, and sometimes (in E. tridorfi/la) a blackish patch on lesser wing-coverts and black band across tip of tail. Downy young white, tinged above with bulTy and yellowish gray, but without spots or other distinct m-vi-kinga. J^ggs 2-5, ovate, or short-ovate, olivaceous-white, grayish white, brownish white, or buffy, blotched and spotted with bi'own and lavender-gray.

o^ Logs and feet black, or dusky. Summer adult : Pui'e white, the mantle deep poarl-gray ; five outer quills with terminal portion black, this decreasing from about 3.25 on the outer quill to .75 (more or '.ess) on the fifth, the outer web of the first almost wholly black ; the fifth, and sometimes the fourth, tipped with white. Winter adult : Similar, but hind part of head and neck washed

I '

LARUS.

26

with gray, and a dark plumbeous suffusion before and behind eyes. Young : Somewhat like winter adult, but lower part of hind-nock crossed by a black patch, the anterior lesser wing-coverts black, and tail with a broad black band at tip. Doicny young : Head, neck, wings, and lower parts immaculate white, the hind-neck and basal portion of wings more or less tinged with buff; back, rump, and flanks yellowish gray, the down darker at base. Length about 16.00-17.70, wing about 12.25, culmen 1.40-1.50, tarsus 1.30, middle toe, with claw, 1.80. b^. Hind toe absent, or very rudimentary. Eggs 2.26 X 1-61- Ilnb. North Atlantic, south, in winter, to middle Atlantic States and Great Lakes.

40. R. tridactyla (Linn.). Kittiwako i'. Hind too well developed, though minute, and usually armed with a distinct nail. Eggs 2.36 X 1-63. Hab. Bering's Sea and North Pacific.

40a. R. tridactyla pollicaris Stejn. Pacific Kittiwake. Legs and feet bright ved (becoming yellowish in dried skins). Summer adult : Pure white, the mantlo dark bluish gray, or plumbeous ; Ave innermost quills plumbeous, the inner webs broadly edged with white, the outer tipped with the same ; five outermost quills black toward ends, the third, fourth, and fifth tipped with plumbeous. Winter adult : Similar, but hind-nock and auriculars washed with plumbeous. Young . Similar to winter adult, but hind-neck crossed by a blackish band, ear-coverts crossed by a smaller black band, and a suffusion of same in front of eye. {No black or dusky on iving- coverts or tail.) Doivny young : Not distinguishable from corresponding stage E. tridactyla {?). Length about 14.00-15.80, wing about 13.00, culmen 1.20, tarsus 1.25, middle toe, with claw, nearly 2.00. Eggs 2.28 X L66. JTab. Coasts and islands of Bering's Sea.

41. R. brevirostris (Bnucii). Red4egged Kittiwake.

Genus LARUS Linn^us. (Pago 23, pi. VIII., figs. 3, 4 ; pi. IX., fig. 3.)

Species} Nest a rudely constructed platform of rubbish (sticlvs, dried grass, etc. — the materials varying according to the locality and tho species), slightly hollowed, placed among rocks, in uuirshes, or other localities near the sea-shore or other largo bodies of water. Eijgs 2-4, ovate, their ground-color some shade of pale brownish, olive, light blr'si!. groonish, or buffy, irregularly spott' ' or blotched with brown and lavender-grayish.

a'. Head entirely white In summer.

b^. Under wing-coverts entirely pure white ; head, neck, entire lower parts, tips of secondaries, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail uniform pure white; mp.ntlo (i.e., back, scapulars, and wings, except primaries) uniform gray- ish, varying in shade from pale pearl-gray to deep slate. c\ Primaries uniform pale pearl-gray, fading gradually into while at tips.

' Tho young birds of this genua seldom offoring very »'• on the adulU alune,

4

distinctive charaotora, tbia analysis ia bnseJ

26 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

rf'. Wing 16.25 or more, and not more than 2.36 times as long as the

tail ; exposed culmon 1.83 or more. Adult in su,nmer : Mantle

very pale pearl-gray. Adult in winter : Similar, but head and

neck streaked with pale brownish gray. Young : Grayish

white, tinged with brownish gray on lower parts, the upper

parts transversely mottled with same. Immature (second

year ?) : Entirely white, including mantle and primaries.

Downy young : Grayish white, paler below ; head and neck

irregularly marked with scattered large spots of dusky, the

back, wings, and rump irregularly clouded with dark grajnsh.

e'. Length 26.00-32.00, wing 16.75-18.75 (17.99), tail 7.40-8.50

(8.07;, culmon 2.30-2.70 (2.52), depth of bill through angle

.80-.95 (.88), through base .83-1.00 (.93), tarsus 2.60-3.05

(2.85), middle toe (with claw) 2.68-3.00 (2.84). Eggs

3.13 X 2.14. Hab. Coasts of the North Atlantic, and

Arctic seas from Cumberland Gulf to Spitzbergen ; south,

in winter, to Long Island and the Great Lakes.

42. L. glaucus Brunn. Glaucous Gull.

e\ Length about 25.00-28.00, Aving 16.25-18.00 (17.12), tail 7.00-

7.50 (7.28), culmon 1.88-2.30 (2.06), depth of bill through

angle .72-.85 (.79), through base .70-.80 (.75), tarsus 2.40-

2.78 (2.57), middle toe (with claw) 2.35-2.75 (2.55). Eggs

3.05 X 2.03. Hah. Bering's Sea and adjacent waters,

northeastward to Point Barrow, southwest (in winter) to

Japan.... — . L. barrovianus Ridgw. Point Barrow Gull.

d^. Wing not more than 17.00 (usually less than 16.00), and nearly

2.50 (avei-aging 2.41) times as long as the toil ; exposed c^Jmen

not more than 1.70. In plumage oxactl}' like X. glaucus and

L. barrovianus.

Length 24.00-26.00, wing 14.75-16.50 (15.41), tail 6.00-6.70 (6.41), culmen l.fiO-1.70 (1.67), depth of bill through angle .62, through base .55-.62 (.50), tarsus 2.10-2.40 (2.22), mid- dle too (with claw) 2.10-2.35 (2.21). Eggs 2.79 X 1-89. Hab. Coasts of the North Atlantic; south, in winter, to Massachusetts and the Great Lakes.

13. L. leucopterus Faber. Iceland GulL c'. Primaries marked with distinct white tips and darker subterminal spaces. d^, Darker spaces of primaries gray.

c\ Second quill vory pale pearl-gray, or bluish white, vorj- broadly tipped with white, the outer web with an elongated space of gray, everywhere vory sharply defined against the paler ground-color.

> Lanu bitrrovianu$ RiDGW., Auk, ili. July, 1880, 330,

LARVS.

27

and

•If

p. "Wing 17.00, or less ; culraen 1.90, or less. Adult : Exactly like L. leucopterus, except in the coloration oi" the pri- maries; length about 23.00-24.00, wing 16.00-17.00, culmen 1.60-1.90, depth of bill through angle .55-66, tarsus 2.10-2.40, middle toe (with claw) 2.15-2.30. ffiib. Western coasts of North Atlantic, from Cum- berland Gulf south, in winter, to New York.

45. L. kumlieni Brewst. Eumlien's GnlL

/'. Wing 13.25, culmen 2.35. Adult : In plumage exactlj' like

L. kumlieni ; depth of bill through angle .80, tarsus 3.05,

middle toe (without claw) 2.40. Hah. Norton Sound,

Alaska 46. L. nelsoni Hensh. Nelson's Qall.

e*. Second quill deep ash-gray, either to the extreme tip, or else with very small white tip and small white spaces some distance from the tip, on one or both webs. Adult: Mantle pearl-gray, darker than in anj* of the pre- ceding. In winter, head and neck clouded (not streaked) with sooty gray. Young : Prevailing color deep ash- gray, nearly uniform, and inclining to plumbeous, be- low, but above relieved by a coarse irregular spotting of grayish white or pale dull buff, the head and neck indistinctly streaked with the same. Immature (second year?): Similar, but mantle mixed with pearl-gray, and lower parts with whitish. Length 23.70-2. 75, wing 16.25-17.30, culmen 2.20-2.60, depth of bill through angle .80-.90, tarsus 2.35-2.90, middle toe (without claw) 2.05-2.45. Eggs 2.88-2.03. Ifab. Coasts of the North Pacific and Bering's Sea, from Japan northward, across through Aleutian chain, and south, in winter, to California.

44. L. glaucescens Naum. Olanoons-winged Onll, (/'. Darker spaces on primaries black.

c\ Shafts of primaries, in black subtcrminal spaces, white.

Adult : Mantle dark slate, the primaries mostly black, with white tips and spots near end ; rest of plumage pure white. In vnnter, top of head and hind-nock streaked with (hisky. Young : Above dusky, the feath- ers bordered with pale huffy ; quills blackish, with narrow whitish tips; tail dusky, crossed by a narrow subterminal band of grayish, or brownish, white ; head, neck, and lower parts white, the top of head and hind-neck streaked, the lower parts clouded or irregu- larly spotted with grayish brown. Downy young: Grayish w'ntc, the upper parts marbled or irregu- larly spotted with dull grayish ; head with numerous

1^

28

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

irregular spots of blackish, the principal of which are two on the crown (one behind the other), four across the occiput, about thi'ce (small ones) on lores, the rest irregulai'ly distributed. Length 28.00-31.00, wing 17.60-19.50, culmen 2.40-2.60, depth of bill through angle .98-1.05, tarsus 2.70-3.10, middle too 2.10-2.50. Eggs 3.05 X 2.12, the ground-color averaging deeper brownish and the spots larger than in L. glaucus. Hab. Coasts of the North Atlantic ; in America, south, in winter, to Long Island.

47. L. marinus Linn. Oreat Black-backed Gull. c'. Shafts of primaries black, except within the white spaces. p. Two outer primaries without distinct gray " wedges" on inner webs. g^ A.nglo of lower mandible very prominent, the depth •' the bill through the angle being decidedly ater than at base ; middle toe, with claw, as i',!.g as tarsus. Summer adult : Mantle deep plum- beous. Winter adult : Top of head and hind-neck streaked with dusky; otherwise as in summer. Young : Above brownish slate, irregularly varied with grayish white ; quills and tail-feathers uni- form dull black, narrowlj'' tipped with white ; lower parts brownish gray, '^louded or irregidarly spotted with grayish white, the breast and belly nearlj- uniform grayish. Doicny young : Grayish buffy white, the head with distinct black blotches of indefinite arrangement ; upper parts clouded or irregularly blotched with brownish dusky ; lower parts, except throat, immaculate. Length 24.00- 27.00, wing 15.75-17.00, culmen 2.00-2.35, depth of bill at angle .85-.95, tarsus 2.45-2.65, middle toe (without claw) 2.00-2.45. Uggs 2.S7 X ^M. Hab. Pacifio coast of United States, south to Cape St. Lucas... 49. L. occidentalis AuD. Western Gull. g*. Angle of lower mandible not very prominent, the depth of the bill at angle being little if any greater than through base. In plumage not e8> .itially different from L. occidentalis, but feet yellow, instead of flosh- colored, in life ; wing 16.00-17.00, culmen 2.00-2.10, depth of bill through angle .60-.68, through base .G0-.72, tarsus 2.18-2.68, middle toe 1.65-1.95. Ifah. Northern Etiropo, south, in winter, to Africa.

L. fuscuB Link. Lesser Black-backed Oull.'

> Laru»/uicn» Linn., S. N. od. 10, i, 1758, T36.

LARVS.

29

I

ica.

Bd Qull.>

/'. Second primary with a distinct gx*ay wedge on inner web. g^. Depth of bill through angle contained less than four and a half times in the length of the tarsus ; lower mandible with a red subterminal spot. li}. Mantle deep plumbeous -gray, inclining to slate- color. i\ Culmon 2.22 or more ; depth of bill at base .75 or more; third quill with a distinct white "mirror" or large spot on inner web between the black and the gi\ay ; mantle nearly the same color as in L. occidentalis, but averaging a little darker ; rest of plumage (except primaries) pure white ; feet dull purplish flesh-color in life , length about 26.50, wing 16.75-18.00, culmon 2.15-2.35, depth of bill through angle .75-.90, at base .75-.82, tarsus 2.60- 2.75, middle toe (without claw) 2.08-2.40. ITab. Coast of northeastern Asia, from Japan (?) to Ivamtschatka and north- ward to Arctic Ocean north of Bering's

Strait 48. L. schistisagus Stejn.

Slaty-backed Qull. i*. Culmen 2.15 or less; depth of bill at angle .65; third quill without white spot on inner web between black and gray ; mantle same color as in L, occidentalis, but apparently averaging a little paler; rest of plumage (except primaries) pure white ; feet yellow in life ; length about 20.00, wing 16.50-17.25, culmen 2.00-2.15, depth of bill at angle .02-.65, at base .05- .70, tarsus 2.60-2.72, middle toe 1.78-2.10.' Hab, Northern Asia ; accidental in south- ern Greenland.

50. L. affinis Eginii. Siberian Ooll. A". Mantle light plumbeous-gray, or lighter, i*. Bill without black spots in adult.

/. Mantle plumbeous-gray, or very deep pearl-gray ; eyelids (in life) orange- red, and feet yellow ; otherwise ex- actly like argentatus and smithso- nianus, with the markings of the

' T'ao gpeoimens moMured are all females. Males would Bomowlmt exceed these dimensions.

nnnwninTir'TT-'"" " • ^ "'"'

30

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

primaries averaging intermediate ; length about 26.00, wing 15.15-18.30, culmen 1.90-2.20, depth of bill through angle .60-.80, tarsus 2.15- 2.20, middle too (without claw) 1.60- 2.15. JIab. Southern Europe and central Asia, from the Mediterranean to Bering's, China, and Japan Seas, and down the North American coast

to California, in winter 52. L.

cachinnans Fall. Pallas's OnlL j'. Mantle delicate pearl-gray, decidedly paler than in L. cachinnans ; eyelids (in life) yellow, and feet pale flesh- color. Young : Brownish gray, nearly uniform on lower parts, the head and neck streaked, and the upper parts irregularly varied with pale grayish buff or dull whitish ; quills, their coverts, and tail-feathers, dusky blackish ; bill blackish, paler basally. Doxcny young : Grayish white, the lower parts (except throat) immacu- late ; head marked with irregular spots of black ; back, wings, and rump clouded with dusky grayish. A*. W^>ite near end of outer quill usu- ally extending to extreme tip, without interruption by a sub- terminal black bar ; the latter, if present at all, usually very small and rarely continuous; length about 23.00, wing 15.75-17.90 (16.38), culmen 1.86-2.20 (2.07), depth of bill through angle .72- .80 (.77), tarsus 2.30-2.72 (2.50), middle toe 1.90-2.25 (2.07). Eggs 2.91 X 1-98. Hah. Europe, etc. ; casual in eastern North America ? 51. L. argentatus BrOnn. Herring Oull. A'. White near end of outer quill always separated from the white tip by a distinct subterminal bar or spot of black, this rarely less

LARUS.

81

than .50 of an inch wide, and often extending to the extreme tip; length 22.50-26.00, wing 16.25-17.50 (17.24), culmen 1.95- 2.50 (2.24), depth of bill through angle .68-.85 (.79), tarsus 2.30- 2.80 (2.57), middle toe (without claw) 1.85-2.25 (2.10). Eggs 2.85 X 2.01. Hab. Whole of North America, south, in win- ter, to Cuba and Lower Califor- nia; breeding from Maine, etc.,

northward 51a. L. argen-

tatus smithsonianus Coues. American Herring Gull. i'. Lower mandible with a black spot near end, the upper also sometimes with a black spot. Adult: Mantle deep plumbeous-gray, as in L. cachinnnns; bill yellow, with red spot near end of lower mandible, this enclosing, or adjacent to, a smaller black spot ; iris deep brown, and feet (in life) pale pea-green or sage-green. Young : Above coarsely spotted with brownish gray and pale grayish buff, or dull whitish, the quills and tail-feathers dull blackish ; head, neck, and lower parts mottled or clouded with grayish white or brownish graj'' ; bill dusky with black tip. Downy young : Grayish white, the head with irregular black spots, most numerous above ; upper parts clouded with duskj' grayish. Length 20.00-23.00, wing 15.00-16.75, culmen 1.65-2.15, depth of bill at angle .60- .75, tarsus 2.00-2.60, middle toe (with- out claw) 1.70-1.95. Eggs 2.61 X 1.80. Hah. Western Lorth America, chiefly in the interior, from Mexico

to Alaska 53. L. californicus

Lawr. California Onll. g^. Depth of bill through angle contained at least four and a half times in the length of the tarsus.

32

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

h}. Bill with a black band near tip.

Adult : Mantle pale pcavl-gray (much as in L. argentatus) ; bill greenish yellow, crossed near end by a very distinct black band, the tip sometimes tinged with ox"ange ; iris pale yellow, eyelids vermil- ion-red J feet (in life) pale yellow, some- times tinged with greenish. Young : Above brownish dusky, the feathers broadly bordered and otherwise varied with palo grayish buff or dull whitish ; quills blackish, the shorter ones bluish gray basally and tipped with white ; tail with basal half (or more) palo grayish, the subterminal third (or more) blackish, the tip narrowly white; lower parts white, spotted along sides with grayish brown; bill blackish, paler toward base. Length 18.00-20.00, wing 13.60-15.75, cul- men 1.55-1.75, depth of bill at angle .50- .65, tarsus 1.90-2.45, middle toe (without claw) 1.30-1.60. £'r7<7s2.39xl-71. Hab. Whole of North America, breeding far noi'thward ; south, in wintei", to Cuba

and Mexico 54. L. delawarensis

Ord. Eing-billed Gull. A*. Bill without black in adult.

/. Gray "wedge" on inner web of third quill never tipped with white, and not carried definitely farther than tip of sixth, usually not much beyond tip of seventh, quill. Adult : Mantle pearl-gray (about intermediate in shade between that of L. californicus and L. argentatus) ; rest of plumage, except quills, pure white. Young : Head and neck soiled whitish, striped with grayish brown ; back, scapulars, and wing-coverts dull grayish brown, margined with grayish white ; basal half of tail white, terminal half blackish or dusky, narrowly tipped with white ; lower parts dull white, spotted and otherwise marked with dull brown. Downy young : " Gov-

33

Young : striped ipulars, brown,

; baeal half

tipped I white, ed with

" Cov-

ered all over with soft yellowish gray down, whiter in tint on the face, throat, and abdomen ; forehead blackish brown ; entire upper parts spotted here and there with large blackish spotb, one or two spots be- ing also on the throat, under parts generally unspotted, except that on the flanks there are some irregular black marks. It may be distin- guished from the young of other Gulls by a large black spot which touches the base of the upper man- dible, and which is never absent, though often varying in size." (Dresser.) Length 17.00-18.50, wing 14.00-14.60 (14.30), culmen 1.35-1.60 (1.45), depth of bill through angle .38-.50 (.44), tarsus 1.90-2.25 (2.02), middle toe 1.32-1.65 (1.43). Eggs 2.29 X 159. Hab. Northern portions of eastern hemisphere ; ac- cidental in Labrador?

56. L. canus Linn. Mew OnlL Gray wedge on inner web of third quill always terminated with white, and this carried beyond tip of the sixth — often fiven beyond the tip of the fifth — quill; even the second quill often with a white spot at end of the gray "wedge" on inner web; plu- mage of adult otherwise as in Ii. canus, but black of primaries much more restricted. Nearly adult : Sim- ilar to the adult in every respect except coloration of the primaries, which have the dark spaces slaty or very dull blackish, instead of deep black, and more extended, the white tips of some of the quills wanting ; tail sometimes (in younger individu- als) more or less blotched with dusky at tip, and upper coverts sometimes (in still younger birds) faintly barred with grayish brown. Young : Above

I' '

ii

34 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

grayish brown, the feathers bordered with pale grayish bujBfj rump and upper tail-coverts pale grayish buif or dull buffy white, marked more or less distinctly with irregular grayish brown spots ; basal half of tail ; :ray- ish white, or pale grayish, trans- versely mottled with darker, the terminal portion dusky grayish brown, forming a well-defined broad band, the extreme tip whitish ; head, neck, and lower parts nearly uniform light brownish gray. Older: Similar, but light borders to feathers of back, , etc., purer white ; basal half of tail

uniform grayish white; lower parts ■white, the breast and sides spotted with light grayish brown; upper parts more or less tinged with the pearl -gray of the adult plumage. Length 16.50-18.00, wing 13.20-14.60 (13.93), culmen 1.25-1.70 (1.45), depth of bill through angle .40-.50 (.45), tarsus 1.70-2.10 (1.94), middle toe 1.30-1.55 (1.44). Eggs 2.29 X 1-61. Jfab. Northwestern North America, breeding far north ; south, in winter, along Pacific coast to southern Cali- fornia 55. L. brachyrhynchus

Rich. Short-billed OnU. J'. Under wing-coverts entirely uniform brownish gray, like outer surface of wings; under parts, rump, etc., brownish gray, and tail black, at all seasons and ages.

Summer adult : Head and upper neck white ; tail black, tipped with white; quills black; upper parts, uniform plumbeous-slate, the secondaries broadly tipped with white ; lower parts uniform deep ash-gray ; bill bright red in life. Winter adult : Similar, but head dusky (darker than body). Young: Sooty grayish brown, the feathers of the upper parts bordered with grayish white or pale buff. Immature (second year ?) : Entire plumage uniform sooty grayish brown, the tail and quills dusky. Length 17.50-21.00, wing 13.50, culmen 1.50. Hab. Pacific coast of North America, from British Columbia to Panama.

57. L. heermanni Cass. Heermann's Onll. a*. Head uniform black or dusky in summer. (Lower neck, entire under parts,

LAJtUS.

35

trdered ip and shbuflf a ore or Trnyish il ,;ray-

trans- er, the grayish i broad 1 ; head, uniform Similar, of back, f of tail er parts

spotted ; upper vith the )lumage. 20-14.50 5), depth 50 (.45), idle toe

X 1-61. \.merica, I winter,

srn Cali-

ynchus

led OnU.

rface of at all

l»ed with (ate, the cm deep [lit head |wn, the

or pale sooty kO-21.00,

America,

'B OnU.

br parts,

rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail, uniform pure white, more or less rose- tinted in breeding season ; mantle some shade of gray.) 6*. Tarsus much longer than middle toe, with claw.

Summer adult : Head sooty slate-color ; mantle plumbeous-slate ; five outer primaries entirely black, or sometimes with a small terminal spot of white; rest of quills plumbeous, tipped with white, the sixth sometimes with a subterminal black spot; bill and feet (in life) dark brownish red. Winter adult : Head and neck white, the oc- ciput and eai'-coverts spotted or mottled with brownish gray, the eyes more or less surrounded by the same ; otherwise as in summer. Young : Head, neck, breast, and sides nearly uniform brownish gray, dai'ker on occiput and hind-neck, tinged with buff beneath ; mantle grayish brown, the feathers broadly bordered with pale grayish buff; centre of rump light brownish gray ; rest of rump, with upper tail- coverts and posterior lower parts, white ; basal half of tail light gray, subterminal portion black, the tip narrowly white. Downy young : Above grayish fulvous, varying to umber-brown, the head Irregularly striped or spotted, the back, wings, and rump marbled, with dusky ; lower parts paler, the breast and belly more ochreous, the fore-neck, sides, flanks, and ventral region faintly mottled with darker. Length 15.00-17.00, wing 13.00, tail 5.00, culmen 1.V5, tarsus 2.00, middle toe, with claw, 1.50. Eggs 2.18 X 1-55. Hab. Atlantic coast of United States, south, in wintei', through West Indies and along both coasts of Middle America, and as far as the lower Ama- zon 58. L. atricilla Linn. Laughing OulL

6'. Tarsus not longer than middle toe, with claw.

c'. Wing more than 10.00 ; culmen more than 1.00.

d^. Bill brownish or reddish, its depth through the angle more than one-fourth the culmen. Summer adult : Bill bright red (in life), with more or less distinct darker subterminal band ; head deep plumbeous-black, with a white spot on each eyelid ; mantle deep plumbeous; quills bluish gray, the shafts white, all broadly tipped with white, and the five outer ones marked with a sub- terminal space of black; lower parts deeply tinted (In fresh specimens) with rose-pink, and middle tail-feather tinged Avith pearl-gray. Winter adult: Similar, but head white, the occi- put, region round eyes, and ear-coverts, grayish dusky ; bill and feet duller red. Young : Top and sli'-'S tf head (except forehead and lores), with back and scapulars, grayish brown, the longer scapulars bordered terminally with pale grayish buff; quills dusky (inner webs more plumbeous), tipped Avith white ; centre of rump bluish gray ; rest of rump, with upper tail-coverts, entire lower parts, forehead, lores, and eyelids, white. Length 13.50-15.00, wing 11.25, culmen 1.30, depth of bill at nostrils .35, tarsus .60, middle toe, with claw, 1.60. Eggs 2.11 X 1-53. Mab.

I

36 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

Interior of North America, breeding from Iowa northward ; in winter, south through Middle America and western South America, to Peru.

59. L. franklinii Sw. & Rich. Franklin's Gull, d*. Bill deep black, its depth through the angle less than one-fourth the length of the culmen. Summer adult : Head dark plumbeous ; mantle delicate pale pearl-gray ; three outer quills chiefly white, the outer web of the first and terminal portion of all, black ; rest of quills pale pearl-gray, tipped with white, the fifth and sixth marked with a subterminal black space; rest of '^'"mage pure white ; feet rich orange-red in life. Winter adu cad

white, the occiput tinged with grayish, the ear-coverts marked with a dusky spot ; otherwise, as in summer, but feet (in life) pale flesh-color. Young : Sides of head and neck, with entire lower parts, upper tail-coverts, and basal two-thirds of tail, white ; top of head and upper back brownish gray ; a dusky spot on ear-coverts; scapulars and feathers of back grayish brown, tipped with pale buff; central lesser wing-coverts dusky brownish gray; rest of wing-coverts, greater part of inner primaries, with upper part of rump, bluish gray ; band across end of tail black or dusky, the tip narrowly white. Length about 12.00-14.00, wing 10.25, culmen 1.20, depth of bill at nostrils .25, tarsus 1.40, middle toe, with claw, 1.40. Eggs 1.95 X 134. Hab. Whole of North America, breeding fa north- ward ; in winter, not yet recorded from south of tl lited States, though reported from Bermudas,

60. L. Philadelphia Ord. Bonaparte's OqII. c*. Wing much less than 10.00; culmen less than 1.00.

Summer adult : Head deep black ; mantle delicate pale pearl-gray, the quills similar, tipped with white and usually without black markings. Winter adult : Head white, the occiput tinged with gray, and cai'-coverts with a dusky spot ; otherwise as in sum- mer. Young : Forehead, lores, cheeks, entire lower parts, upper tail-coverts, and greater part of tail, white ; occiput, ear-coverts, and most of upper pa^ts sooty blackish, the feathers (except on head and neck) bordered terminally with pale buff. Length 10.40-11.50, wing 8.75-9.00, culmen .90, tarsus 1.00, middle toe (without claw) .90. Hab. Europe and parts of Asia and Africa ; accidental in Bermudas and eastern Arctic America ?

Larus minutus^ Pall. Little Gull.

'^I

I Larut minutua Pall., Reis. Russ. Reichs, iii. App. No. 35, 1771, 702.

XEMA.

37

svard ; South

sOoU. fourtli bcous ; white, black ; th and "inago Lkid narked in Uto) I entire of tail, t dusky- grayish 9 dusky »f innev d across Length f bill at

iJggS 1.95 noi'th- \ited

te's GuU.

arl-gray, ut black jed with in sum- ts, upper coverts, (except Length iddle toe Africa ;

,ittle Gull.

Genus RHODOSTETHIA Macgillivray. (Pago 23, pi. VII., fig. 3.)

Species.

Summer adult : Mantle and under surface of wing uniform pale poail-gray, the secondaries and innermost quills very broadly tipped with pinkish white, and outer web of first quill chiefly black ; rest of plumage white, usually more or less (sometimes very strongly) tinged with delicate peach-blossom pink, the middle of the neck encircled by a narrow black collar. Winter adult : Similar, but black col- lar absent, a blackish spot immediately in front of eye, and top of head tinged with pearl-gray. Young, second summer f Similar to summer adult (including collar), but smaller wing-coverts, inner secondaries, primary-coverts, alulse, and adjacent small feathers, together with three outer quills, blackish, the inner web of the latter, how- ever, with marginal half pearl-gray ; remaining quills pearl-gray, becoming white on innermost quills, and all of them tipped with black ; third, fourth, and fifth tail- feathers bi'oadly tipped with black. Young : Back and scapulars heavily spotted or clouded with dusky or sooty blackish, this color prevailing on lower back, where the feathers have buflfy tips ; top of head and hind-neck also clouded with dusky ; middle tail-feathers with the end sooty black for about .85, the succeeding feathers on each side tipped with black in decreasing extent to the third, which has but a slight mottling of dusky at extreme tip ; wing-coverts dusky, or sooty, tipped with pale huffy ; two innermost quills pure Avhite, the rest parti-colored ; head, neck, and lower parts chiefly white, mai'ked anteriorly (except on chin and throat) with narrow bars of dusky. Length 11.50-14.00, wing 9.50-10.50, tail 4.00-5.50 (gradu- ated for .75-1.25), culmen .65-.75, tarsus 1.20-1.25, middle toe 1.00-1.05. Egg (single specimen) 1.90 X 1.30, in color like that of .X'ema sabinii {fide Seebohm, P. Z. S. 1886, 82). Hab. Arctic Ocean, south, in autumn or winter, to northern Alaska, Kamtschatka, Disco Bay, Faroes, Heligoland, and (accidentally) England.

61. R. rosea (Macoil.). Ross's Onll.

Genus XEMA Leach. (Page 23, pi. IX., figs. 1, 2.)

Species.

Culmen much shorter than tarsus ; tail forked for not more than the length of the tarsus; wing not more than 11.25; legs and feet blact . (Subgenus -rTewirt.) Summer adult : Head and upper neck uniform plumbeous, bordered below by a black collar; mantle deep bluish gray; quills black, the five in- nermost ones varied with white and plumbeous; rest of plumage white; bill black, tipped with yellowish. Winter adult: Similar, but head and neck white, exce) t ear-coverts and back of head and neck, which are dull dusky plumbeous. Young : Mantle brownish gray, each feather darker eubtermi- nally, and margined at tip with pale fulvous or buffy ; tail white, with a broad black band near end, this again nan-owly tipped with white ; upper tail- coverts and entire lower parts white. Downy young (fide Middendobff) :

38 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

Upper parts rusty yellow, spotted with black; lower parts whitish gray. Length 13.00-14.00, wing 10.10-11.15, tail 4.50-5.00 (forked for about .60- 1.00), culmen 1.00, tarsus 1.25, middle toe, with claw, about 1.25. Eggs 2-5, 1.78 X 1-26, ovate, or short-ovate, deep olive (varying in intensity, however), rather indistinctly spotted or blotched with brown. Hab. Arctic regions; in North America south, in winter, to New York, the Great Lakes, and Great Salt Lake (casually to Bermudas and Peru).

62. X. sabinii (Sab.). Sabine's GnlL a*. Culmen nearly as long as tarsus ; tail forked for at least one and a half times the length of the tarsus ; wing about 16.00 ; legs and feet rea. (Subgenus Creagrus Bonap.). Summer adult : Head and upper part of neck sooty slate, with a whitish patch at base of bill ; mantle pearl-gray, the wing-coverts and outer webs of scapulars whitish ; quills black, the shorter ones tipped with white; rest of plumage white; bill black, with yellowish tip; legs and feet bright red. Young : Plumage generally, including head and neck, white ; hind-neck, back, and scapulars, ashy brown, the tips of the feathers maigined with white; tail-feathers (except outermost) with a black subter- minal spot ; a dusky space immediately in front of eye, and another on ear- coverts. Length about 23.00, wing 16.00, tail 8.00 (forked for about 3.30), culmen 1.85, tarsus 1.90, middle toe, with claw, 2.00. Hab. Pacific coast of South America; Monterey, California?

— , X. fur cata (Neb.\ Swallow-tailed Gull.

Genus GELOCHELIDON Brehm. (Page 24, pi. IX., fig. 4.)

Species.

Summer adult : Top of head and hind-neck deep black ; upper parts pale pearl- gray, rest of plumage pure white ; bill deep black, foet blackish. Winter adult : Similar, but head and neck white, the hind-neck tinged with grayish, the ear- coverts and spot in front of eye darker grayish. Young : Similar to winter adult, but upper parts washed with bufT or day-color, the top of head, hind-neck, back, and scapulars sometimes streaked with dusky. Doivny young : Above light gray- ish buff, with seroral largo and tolerably well defined dusky spots on hinder half of head, a distinct dusky stripe down each side of hind-neck and upper back, the wings, rump and flanks with rather dirtinct largo spots of dusky; lower parts white, tinged with grayish on sides of throat ; bill brownish, inclining to orange (in life) on lower mandible ; feet dull brownish orange (in life). Length 13.00-15.25, wing n.75-12.2^, tail 5.50 (forked for 1.50-1.75), culmen 1.40, depth of bill at base .45. Kest along sea-beach, in sand or shingle. Eggs 1.84 X 1-33, ovate, light huffy, varying to pale olivc-buify, distinctly spotted and blotched with deep brown and lavender-grayish. Hab. Nearly cosmopolitan ; in America, Atlantic side, from Brazil iiorth to Long Island, casually to Massachusetts; very rare inland; both coastb of southern Mexico and Central America in winter.

63. G. nilotica (Habsblq.). Onll-billed Tern.

STERNA.

39

Genus STERNA Linn^cs. (Page 24, pi. X., figs. 1-3 ; pi. XI., figs. 1, 2.)

^ecies. Wing more than 9.00. b\ Wing more than 12.00.

c^. Tail much less than half as long as wing, forked for less than one-fifth its total length ; feathers of occiput shoi't, blended ; depth of bill at base equal to nearly one-third the exposed culmen ; inner webs of quills entirely gray, or slaty. (Subgenus Thalasseus Kaup.) Adult in spring : Above pale pearl-gray, becoming white on tail, and more silvery gray on quills ; whole top of head, and nape, uniform glossy black ; rest ot plumage pure white ; bill coral- red (drying orange-red) with dusky tinge near tip ; feet black. Adult immediatehj after pairing season : Similar to spring plu- mage, but black on top of head mixed with white. Winter adult: Similar to summer adult, but black of crown, etc., streaked, instead of speckled or flecked, with grayish white. Young : Above pale grayish, marked with a few roundish and more or less hastate spots of dusky, largest on tortials ; top of head grayish white, the crown flocked with black, this color increasing in extent posteriori^'-, until nearly uniform on occi- put ; tail-feathers marked with a dusky subterminal spot ; rest of plumage white ; bill dull orange-reddish. Doxcny young : Above grayish white, the down of the head dusky gray beneath the surface; back and rump finely and indistinctly mottled with grayish ; throo and fore-neck uniform pule grayish, rest of lower parts white. Length 19.00-22.50, wing 15.00-17.40, tail 5.30-6.75 (forked for about .75-1.60), culmen 2.48-3.10, depth of bill through base .73-.95, tarsus 1.60-1.90, middle toe 1.15-1.40. Nest (usually solitary) a depression in sand near sea-sliore. Eggs 2-3, 2 66 X 1-77, ovate or elliptical-ovate, pale grayish bufl', varying to olive-buflf or dull whitish buflf, more or less spotted with brown and stone-gray or lavender-gray. Hah. North America in general, but rare on Pacific coast ; breeding in isolated and widely separated localities throughout its range. (Also occurs in various portions of eastern hemisphere, includ- ing Australia.) 64. S. tschegrava Lefech. Caspian Tern.

c*. Tail more than half as long as wing, forked for at least half its total length ; feathers of occiput lengthened, lanceolate, forming a dis- tinct crest ; depth of bill at base much less than one-third the length of the exposed culmen ; inner webs of quills with inner margin ab- ruptly and broadly white. (Subgenus Actockelidon Kaup.) . d'. Bill deep orange, or orange-rod.

e*. Depth of bill at base more than one-fourth the length of the exposed culmen. Adult in spring : Above pale pearl-gray,

40

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

I)

It

ill!

l: a.

h f

paler (nearly white) on upper tail-coverts and tail ; whole top of head, including occipital crest, glossy black ; rest of plumage pure white ; bill deep orange, feet blackish. Adult just after pairing season : Similar, but forehead and forepart of crown white, only the occipital crest and hinder part of crown being uniform black. Winter plumage : Similar to summer plumage, but black of occiput also mixed more or less with white, and bill paler orange. Young : Somewhat like winter adult, but upper parts sparsely spotted with dusky brown, these spots largest on tertials ; tail-feathers brownish or dusky near tips ; top of head speckled white and dusky, the occipital crest br'^ slightly developed ; bill dull orange. Length 18.00-21. uO, wing 14.00-15.00, tail 6.00-8.00, forked for about half its tot."' ' ngth; culmen 2.40-2.75, depth of bill at base .65-.75, arsus 1.35-1.45. Nest (usually many together) a depression in sand, near sea-shore. Eggs 1-3 or 4, 2.61 X 1-78, ovate, elongate- ovate, or subacute-ovate, buffy, cream-color, or whitish, handsomely spotted (sometimes lined) with dark bi-own or black, these markings usually suffused exteriorly with light brown and purplish gray. Hab. Coasts and larger inland waters of United States, and southward, breeding north to

about 40° 65. S. maxima Bodd. Royal Tern.

c*. Depth of bill at base less than one-fourth (about one-fifth) the length of the exposed culmen ; plumage same as that of S. maxima, but lower parts very deeply tinged with rose-, or peach-blossom, pink, and occipital crest more developed; length about 16.00-17.00, wing 12.40-12.50, tail 6.60-7.30, forked for about 2.60-3.50 ; culmen 2.26-2.55, depth of bill through base .45-.50, tarsus 1.05-1.25. Eggs 2.15 X 1-45, ovate, creamy white, boldly spotted (chiefly round larger end) with black and various shades of rich warm brown. Hab. Pacific coast of Middle America, north to San J'ran-

cisco, California 66. S. elcgans Gamb. Elegant Tern.

d*. Bill deep black, usually with yellowish or whitish tip ; plumage the same as in ^Sf. maxima and S. elegans, but usually less pinkish beneath than the latter ; length 14.00-16.00, wing about 12.50, tail 6.00 (forked for about 2.35), culmen 2.25, depth of bill at base .48, tarsus 1.00. Nest a depression in sand by sea-shore. Eggs 1.99 X 1-38) ovate, white, huffy, or rich cream -color, handsomely but variously marked (often with zigzag liros) with diff^orent shades of rich brown, black, etc. Hab. South Atlantic and Gulf coasts of United States, north to southern New England; south, in winter, to West Indies and Middle America (both coasts).

67. S. sandvicensis acuflavidus (Cabot). Cabot'i Tern.

STERNA.

41

Wing less than 12.00 ; occipital feathers short and blended, c*. Mantle bluish gray, the tail chiefly white ; inner webs of quills largely white. (Subgenus Sterna.) dK Top of head without any black at any season.

Adult in summer: Head, axillars, lining of wing, and tail- coverts, white, the first with a dusky stripe along each side, entirely surrounding eye, and extending back over car-coverts ; rest of plumage pale pearl-gray, the quills inclining to silvery white ; bill black in middle portion, the base and tip yellowish. Winter plumage : Similar, but lower parts white ; bill dusky, tipped with yellowish. Length 15.00-16.00, wing 9.70-10.60, tail 4.60-6.00 (forked for about 1.60-2.60), culmen 1.50-1.70, tarsus .92-.96. Hab. Atlantic coast of South America ; casual on Atlantic coast of United States (New Jersey).

68. S. trudeaui Aud. Trndeau's Tern. fP. Top of head chiefly or entirely uniform black in summer, e'. Top of head entirely black in summer.

/'. Only one web of outer tail-feather entirely white.

g^. Inner web of outer tail-feather grayish or dusky toward end, the outer web entirely white. Sum- mer adult: Above pale pearl-gray, lower parts pure white ; entire top of head and nape uniform deep black ; bill (in life) dull orange, dusky at tip , feet fine orange-red. Winter plumage: Similar, but Whole top of head white, tinged on occiput and nape with grayish, the side of the head with a dusky stripe surrounding eyes aud extending across ear-coverts ; tail shorter and less deeply forked than in summer, the exterior feathers broader and less elongated ; bill duller orange, and feet much less intense red ; bill dusky or dull brownish orange, darker at tip. Young : Similar to winter plumage, but top of head, hind-neck, back, scapulars, tertials, and wing-coverts over- laid by a wash of umber-brown, nearly uniform on back and crown ; sides of head tinged with same ; tail-feathers all distinctly dusky terminally, especi- ally on inner webs. Downy young : Light brown- ish buff', the breast and belly whitish ; upper parts coarsely and irregularly marbled with black, the sides of the head with a few scattorcd small mark- ings of the same. Length about 14.00-15.00, wing 9.50-10.30, tail 6.00-7.70 (forked for 2.30-5.00), culmen 1.50-1.66, tarsus .90-1.00. Neat of dead

e

w

42

IP

190RTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

grasses, etc., in marshes (fresh- or salt-water), often upon " windrows" of sea- weed. Eggs 1.78 X 1-23, ovate or short-ovate, varying from olive-buff to olive-brown, coarsely spotted or blotched with dark brown or blackish. Hab. Temperate North America, north to Manitoba, south, in winter, to Brazil.

69. S. forsteri Nutt. Forster's Tern. g*. Inner web of outer tail-feather entirely white, the outer web dusky, in abrupt contrast. h}. Summer adult : Lower parts pale lavender-gray, or grayish white ; whole top of head and nape deep black ; rest of upper parts deep pearl- gray, the rump, upper tail-coverts, and greater part of tail pure white ; bill bright vermilion- red, blackish at tip ; feet (in life) rich orange- vermilion. Winter adult: Similar, but fore- head, crown, and anterior part of lores white, mixed with black on crown ; entire lower parts pure white ; bill and feet less intensely red. Young : Orbital region, occiput, and nape, dull black; crown mixed blackish and grayish white ; foi'ehead, lores, entire lower parts, upper tail-coverts, inner webs of rectri- ces, and tips of secondaries, white; rest of upper' parts pale pearl-gray, the scapulars, interscapulars, and tertials, tipped with pale buff, and marked with a subterminal cres- centic spot, or lunule, of dusky brown ; an- terior lesser wing-coverts duskj'-, forming a distinct bar across wing ; bill brownish dusky, the base of mandible paler and more reddish ; feet pale reddish. Downy young : Above pale fulvous or grayish buff (the precise shade very variable) coarsely and irregularly mar- bled with dusky, except on forehead ; lower parts white, more or less tingod with buff or pale fulvous on sides and flanks, the throat and cheeks distinctly dusky, or grayish. Length 13.00-16.00, wing 9.75-11.76, tail 5.00- 7.00 (forked for 3.50, more or less), culmen 1.25-1.50, depth of bill at base about .33, tar- sus .66-.85. Nest usually a depression in sand or gravel near sea-shore. Eggs 2-4, 1.67 X 117, averaging a little paler in ground-

STERNA.

43

color and less heavily blotched than those of S. forsteri. Hab. Eastern temperate North Amer- ica, and various parts of eastern hemisphere. 70. S. hirundo Linn. Common Tern. h*. Summer adult : Lower parts deep lavendei'-gray, changing to white only on lower tail-coverts and on sides of head adjacent to the black cap ; upper parts deep pearl-gray, the tips of secondaries, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail pure white, in marked contrast ; bill rich car- mine, usually without distinct blackish tip; feet intense carmine. Winter adult ; Similar, but lower parts white (sometimes tinged with grayish), and forehead, crown, and fore part of lores white, the crown streaked or mixed with black. Young : Orbital region, occiput, and hind part of crown dull black ; forehead, anterior part of lores, and crown white, the latter stained with brown and mixed Avith Mackish ; feathers of dorsal region and wings tipped with pale buff and marked with a sub- terminal crescent or lunule of brownish dusky, these markings larger on tertials and longer scapulars, and smaller on back ; lower rump, upper tail-coverts, and entire lower parts, white, the chin, throat, and sides of jugulum and breast, icained with pale dull brownish; basal half of bill dull orange-red, terminal portion blackish ; feet light reddish. Downy young : Similar to that of 8. hirundo, but usually darker colored. Length 14.00-17.00, wir.g 10.00-10.75, tail 6.60-8.50 (forked for 4.00-5.00), culmen 1.08-1.40, depth of bill through base 30, tarsus .56-.65, middle toe, with claw, .80-.85. Eggs 1.62 X 115, not distinguishable with certainty from those of S. hirundo, but usually with darker ground- color and heavier spotting, ffab. Circum- polar regions, south, in winter, to Middle States and California; on Atlantic coast breeding south to Massachusetts.

71. S. paradissea Biit)NN. Arctic Tern. g*. Both webs of outer tail-feathers entirely white.

Summer adult : Above delicate pale pearl-gray, fading into silvery white on upper tail-coverts

I

44

hi

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

and tail ; lower parts exquisitely delicate pale peach-blossom pink, fading into pure white in dried skins ; entire top of head, with nape, uni- form deep black ; bill black, tinged at base (in life) with reddish ; feet bright red in life. Winter adult : Similar, but forehead and anterior part of crown white, the latter tinged with grayish and indistinctly streaked with blackish. Young : Pileum and nape pale buffy grayish, finelj'^ mottled or sprinkled with darker, and streaked, especially on crown, with dusky ; or- bital and auricular regions dusky blackish; remainder of head, and entire lower parts, white, the nape and sometimes side of breast finely mottled with buffy gray; pale pearl-gray of back and scapulars overlaid by pale buff, irregu- larly mottled with dusky, each feather with a Bubmarginal dusky U-shaped mark ; bill brown- ish duskjj^; feet duskj^ (in dried skins). Length 14.00-17.00, Aving 9.25-9.75, tail 7.25-7.75 (forked for 3.50-4.50), culmen 1.50, depth of bill at base .35, tarsus .85, middle too .75. Eggs 2-4, 1.66 X 1.21, similar to those of S. paradiscca, but ground- color averaging lighter and markings smaller. Hab. Atlantic coast of United States; West Indies, and various parts of Old World.

72. S. dougalli Montaq. Roseate Tern. e*. Top of head black, with a broad white patch on forehead, ex- tending backward on each side of crown to above eyes ; a black stripe across lores.

Summer adult: Above deep plumbeous-gray, beneath paler, more lavender-gray ; tips of secondaries, upper and lower tail-coverts, tail, sides of head, chin, under wing coverts and axillars pure white; bill and feet entirely deep black. Winter ad idt, unknown. Young: Forehead, lores, crown, and entire nape, smoky gray- ish brown, deepening on occiput into dark sootj', this color extending laterally nearly or quite to eye; the smoke-color of nape extending laterally over side of neck and breast, or sometimes oven tingeing the jugu- lum and fore-neck ; back, scapulars, inner wing-coverts, and tertials dull slate-blackish, broadly and sharply bordered terminally with yellowish ochraceous ; upper rump dark brownish slate, feathers narrowly tipped with pale fulvous, this pi-eceded by a dusky subter-

STERNA.

45

uni-

upper

under

»d feet

Young :

ty, this •0 ; the side of le jugu- covcrts, sharply upper tipped subter-

minal bar; lower rump and upper tail-coverts plum- beous-gray, the longer feathers tipped with buff; reo- trices pale bluish gray, the feathers becoming dusky subterminally ; lower parts, except as described, white ; maxilla dusky, mandible light reddish (brownish in dried skins), the terminal third or fourth dusky ; legs and feet light reddish. Length 13.25-15.00, wing 9.75-10.75, tail 6.50-7.00 (forked for 2.40-3.75), culmen 1.25-1.40, depth of bill at base .38, tarsus, .60-.75, middle toe .80-.85. Eggs 1.69 X 112, similar to those of S. paradiscea, but averaging rather deeper in ground- color, with larger markings. Hab. Eastern Aleutian Islands and northward along coast to or beyond Norton Sound.

73. S. aleutica Baird. Aleutian Tern. Mantle and six to ten middle tail-feathers slaty or blackish ; inner webs of quills entirely dusky. (Subgenus Haliplana "VVaqler.) d}. Adult: Upper parts, including hind-neck, continuously uniform sooty black, the outer pair of tail-featiiers chiefly white ; fore- head, sides of head, and entire lower parts white, sometimes faintly tinged with bluish gray posteriorly ; bill and feet deep black. Young: Entirely dark sooty brown, more grayish on lower parts, the anal region and under wing-coverts white ; scapulars and wing-coverts narrowly but distinctly tipped with white. Downy young : " Head, neck, throat, and entire upper parts, dark gray with a silvery tinge, closely dotted with gray- ish white ; rest of under parts white." (Dresser.) Length 15.00-17.00, wing 12.00, tail 7.00-7.50 (forked for about 3.00- 3.60), culmen 1.80, tarsus 1.00. Eggs (deposited on rocks or ground, usually without nest) 2.02 X 1-40, white, creamy white, or cream-color spotted with rich chestnut, usually mixed with fainter spots of purplish gray. Hab. Tropical and subtropical sea-coasts of both hemispheres ; in North America, north to the Carolinas and western Mexico, casually to New England.

75. S. fuliginosa Gmel. Sooty Tern. d}. Adult : Lower hind-neck and upper back grayish white, deepening into brownish slate on wings, etc., and deep black on top of head ; forehead, sides of head, and entire lower parts pure white; two outer pairs of tail-feathei's white; bill and feet black. Young : Entire lower pai*ts, with cheeks, forehead, and sides of crown, white, as in adult ; nape, occiput, and middle of ci'own brownish dusky; the last streaked with grayish white ; upper parts grayish brown ; the scapulars, interscapu- lars, and tertials margined terminally with gi*ayish white. Length about 14.00-15.00, wing 10.50, tail 6.00-7.00, culmen

46

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

1.40-1.60, depth of bill at base .35-.40, tarsus .85. Hah. Tropi- cal eea-coasts in general ; accidental on Florida coast.

76. S. ansethetus Scop. Bridled Tern, a'. Wing less than 7.00. Tail about half as long as wing, forked for about half its length. (Subgenus Sternula Boie.) Summer adult : Above uniform pale pearl-gray ; lower parts, with forehead and stripe on each side of crown, back and above eyes, pure white ; stripe from bill to eye, with crown, occiput, and nape, uniform deep black ; bill bright yellow, usually with blackish tip ; feet bright orange- yellow (in life). Winter adult : Similar to summer plumage, but lores, forehead, and ci'own grayish white (pure white anteriorly) ; bill dull yellowish, or dusky ; feet pale yellow. Young : Somewhat like winter adult, but lesser wing-coverts chiefly dusky slate (forming distinct patch), scapulars and interscapulars with submarginal V- or U-ehaped marks of dusky, and quills darker. Downy young: Above grayish white, varying to delicate buff-yellow, sometimes immaculate, but usually finely mottled with dusky grayish, the head distinctly marked with irregular dots of blackish ; lower parts wholly immaculate white. Length 8.50- 9.75, wing 6.60, tail 3.50 (forked for about 1.75), culmen 1.20, tarsus .60. Nest a depression in shingly beach. Eggs 2-4, 1.28 X 0.91, white, buffy Avhite, or buff, spotted with brown and purplish gray. Hab. United States (rather southerly) south, in winter, through Middle America (both coasts) to northern coasts of South America.

74. S. antillarum Less. Least Tern.

Genus HYDROCHELIDON Boie.

Species

(Page 24, pi. XII., fig. 2.)

fl'. "Wing less than 9.00. Head wholly dusky or black in summer adult. 6^ Tail and upper coverts deep gray or plumbeous.

Summer adult: Head, neck, and lower parts uniform black or plumbeous, the lower tail-covei'ts, however, white; upper parts uniform plum- beous. Winter adult : Head, neck, and lower parts white, the orbits and ear-coverts dusky ; above as in summer. Young : Similar to winter adult, but feathers of back, etc., tipped with dull brownish, anterior lesser wing-coverts dusky, and sides washed with plumbe- ous. Downy young : Above umber-brown, with a few coarse, irreg- ular mottlings of black ; forehead, crown, throat, and chest plain sooty brown ; side of head, including lores, dull whitish ; belly white centrally, sooty gray exteriorly. c\ Summer adult with lower parts (sometimes head also) plumbeous, little if any darker than upper surface. Hab. Europe, and parts of Asia nnd Africa. H. nigra (Linn.). Black Tern.i

> Sterna nigra Linn., S. N. ed. 10, i. 1768, 137. Hydrochelidon nigra Boie, IsU, 1822, 663.

ANOUS.

47

c*. Summer adult with lower parts always black or very dark plumbeous, much darker than upper surface ; length 9.00-10.25, wing 8.25, tail 3.75 (forked for .90), culmen 1.10. Nest in marshes. Eggs 1.35 X 0.98, brownish buff or olive-buff, heavily spotted and blotched with dark brown. Hab. Temperate North America, south, in winter, to South America, as far as Brazil and Chili.

77. H. nigra suhnamensis (Gmel.). American Black Tern. b*. Tail and upper coverts white, sometimes tinged with gray.

Summer adult: Head, neck, and lower parts black, the under tail- coverts white ; upper parts plumbeous, more silvery on wings, the anterior lesser coverts being white; legs and feet bright red (drying brownish). Young : " Posterior portion of the crown, a patch on the side of the head, and one on the hind-neck dark sooty gray, the feathers with lighter mai'gins, the patch on the hind-neck with brownish markings ; rest of the head, neck, and entire under parts pure white; back and scapulars blue-gray, broadly tipped with blackish gray ; wings as in the adult in winter, but the wing- coverts tipped with light reddish brown ; rump and upper tail- coverts white; tail light French gray, becoming darker towards the tip." (Dresser.) Doiony young: "Upper parts warm reddish buff, boldly marked with black on the crown, nape, back, wings, and rump ; under parts gi'ayish buff with a sooty tinge, marked with sooty gray on the upper throat ; space round the eye nearly white." (Dresser.) Length about 9.50, wing 7.60-& 20, tail 2.80- 3.25, culmen .90-.95. Nest in marshes. Eggs 1.36 X 0.99, essen- tially similar in coloration to those of H. nigra surinamensis. Hab. ^ Europe, etc. ; accidental (?) in North America (Lake Koshkonong,

Wisconsin).

78. H. leucoptera (Temm.). White- winged Black Tern. Wing more than 9.00. Head with a broad white stripe on each side, in summer adult. Summer adult : Top of head and hind-neck black ; broad stripe on side of head (from chin and corner of mouth to behind ear-coverts), lower tail-coverts, and under wing-coverts white ; rest of plumage uniform plum- beous. Hab. Europe, etc. ; accidental in West Indies.

H. leucopareia (Natt.). Whiskered Tern.'

b plain ; belly

8, little of Asia :k Tern.»

Genus ANOUS Leach. (Pago 24, pi. XII., fig. 1.)

S2)ec'es.

Common Characters. — Plumage uniform sooty brownish, becoming hoary on forehead or top of head. Nest on trees or bushes around borders of oceanic islands, rather bulky, composed of sticks, etc. Egg single (usually, at least), huffy or buffy

1 Sterna leucopareia Natt., in Temm. Man. 1S20, 726. Hydrochelidon leucopareia Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. 1865, 406.

48

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

speckled or spotted, chiefly round larger end, with brown

and

whitish, sparsely purplish gray.

a*. Lores dusky, in abrupt and marked contrast with the hoary of the forehead. 6*. Only the forehead distinctly whitish.

Uniform sooty brown, becoming gradually grayer on neck, and pass- ing gradually through intermediate shades to white on forehead; quills nearly black. Youny (?) : Similar, but head uniform grayish brown, the frontlet hoary grayish. Length 13.00-16.35, wing 10.00- 10,50, tail 6.00, culmen 1.75, depth of bill at base .38. Hgg averaging 2.06 X 1-37. Hob. Intertropical seas generally, also coast of south- ern Atlantic and Gulf States 79. A. stolidus (Linn.). Noddy.

b*. Whole top of head distinctly whitish.

c*. White of crown changing gradually into ashy on hind-neck ; plumage of body, etc., sooty brown. Hab. Intertropical seas and coasts generally, including Gulf coast of Mexico.

A. tnelanogenys Gray. Black-cheeked Noddy.* c*. White of crown abruptly defined against sooty brown of hind-neck ; plumage of body, etc., sooty black. Hab. Southwestern Pacific.

A. leucocapillus Gould. White-crowned Noddy.*

a}. Lores hoary whitish, like forehead. Hoary ash of occiput and hind-neck

changing gradually into sooty brown on chin and throat, the cheeks being

grayish. Hab. Indian Ocean.

A. tenuirostris (Temm.). Slender-billed Noddy.*

Family RYNCHOPIDiE.--THE Skimmers. (Pago 20.)

Genera. (Characters same as given for the Family) Rynchops. (Page 48.)

Genus RYNCHOPS Linnaeus. (Page 48, pi. VI., fig. 5.)

Species.

a*. Secondaries very broadly tipped with white ; tail white, only the middle pair of feathers grayish or dusky; under wing-coverts white. Summer adult: Forehead, sides of head, and entire lower parts, white ; upper parts, including hind-neck, top of head, and ear-coverts, black, the secondaries and inner pri- mai'ies broadly tipped with white ; tail white, the middle feathers chiefly grayish brown ; basal half of bill, with legs and feet, bright vermilion-red in life (changing to dull whitish in dried skins) ; terminal portion of bill

1 Anons tnelanogenys Gray, Gen. B. iii. 1840, fiCl, pi. 182.

« Anout leucocapillui Goulp, P. Z. S. 1845, 103 ; Birds Austr. pt. vli. 1848, pi. 35.

> Sterna tenuiroBtrii Tkuh., PI. Col. 202 (1838). Anous tenuirottriB Saunoers, P. Z. S. 1876, 670, pi. 61, fig. 1.

RYNCHOPS.

49

a'

black. Winter adult : Similar as to plumage, but the black more brownish, and interrupted by a white collar across hind-neck. Young: Above light buif, each feather with a central spot of black, these largest on scapulars ; lores and beneath eye uniform pale buff; lower parts white. Downy young : Above pale grayish buff, irregularly and sparsely mottled with blackish ; lower parts plain white. (Lower mandible not longer than upper in very young birds.) Length 17.00-20.00, wing 14.75-15.75, tail 5.50 (forked for about 1.20), culmen 2.20-2.80, lower mandible 2.90-4.10. Nest a depression in sand, near sea-shore. Eggs 2-5, 1.74 X 1-32, ovate, or short-ovate, white, buffy white, or pale buff, marked with largo bold spots of rich dark or deep brown, and smaller, fainter spots of purplish gray. Hab. Sea-coast of warmer parts of America ; on the Atlantic side, north, regularly, to New Jersey, casually

to Nova Scotia 80. R. nigra Linn. Black Skimmer.

Secondaries without white tips ; tail dusky, the feathers with paler edges ; under wing-coverts brownish gray ; otherwise similar to M. nigra, but averaging larger, with longer bill and wing especially. Hab. Coasts of South America (Peru ; Demerara, etc.).

R. melanura Bois. Black-tailed Skimmer.'

lii/nchopa melannrua " BoiB," Swains. Anim. in Mcnag. 1838, 340.

so

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

ii'

Order TUBINARES. — The Tube-nosed Swim- mers. (Page 1.)

Families.

a'. Wings very long ; nostrils opening in anterior end of horizontal nasal tubes, i'. Nasal tubes widely separated by the intervening culmen ; size very largo (equal to a large goose or larger) ; wing very narrow, with very nu- merous (39-50) remiges Diomedeidse. (Pago 50.)

h*. Nasal tubes united, and resting upon the basal portion of the culmen ; size and other characters extremely variable, but usually medium-sized or small, and remiges never more than 39 (usually 30, or less).

Procellariidse. (Pago 53.) a*. Wings very short, and general appearance decidedly Auk-liko ; nostrils opening upwards, as parallel longitudinal slits, at very base of culmen.

Halodromidae. (Extralimital.)

Family DIOMEDEID.ffi.--THE Albatrosses. (Page 50.)

Nest a mound-like heap of grasses, etc., with depressed top, built upon the ground in open situations, on oceanic islands. Egg single, ovate, or elliptical ovate, white, sometimes speckled or spi*inkled on larger end with reddish brown.

Genera.

(/'. Sides of lower mandible without longitudinal groove ; wing three or more times as long as the short, rounded tail. h^. Upper division of the bill much broadest at base, where joined closely to the

lateral division Diomedea. (Page 50.)

h*. Upper division of the bill narrow, and of equal width from the middle of the culmen to the base, where widely separated from the lateral division by the interposition of a strip of naked skin extending from the nasal

tubes to the forehead Thalassogeron. (Page 52.)

a'. Sides of lower mandible with a distinct longitudinal groove, extending the entire length of the lateral division ; wing only about twice as long as the gradu- ated or wedge-f.haped tail Phcebetria. (Vwgi "iS)

a

Genus DIOMEDEA LiNNiEus. (Page 50, pi. XIII.

2.)

Species.

' Culmen very concave; feathers at base of upper mandible extending i an angle nearly or quite to the base of the nasal tube, those at the base of the lower mandible forming a still more decided angle. (Subgenus Diomedea!)

DIOMEDEA.

51

Wing 26.60-29.00 inches ; total length, 44.00-55.00, extent, 125.00-130.00. Adult : "White, the remiges blackish. Young : Dusky, with fore part of the head whitish (older individuals with more white, according to age). Egg 4.95 X 3.15, white, minutely sprinkled over large end with brownish (adventitious stain in pores of shell ?). Hub. Southern seas in general, north, casually or very irregularly, to Florida (Tampa Bay) and coast of Washington Territory.

— . D. exulans Linn. Wandering Albatross.* Culmen slightly concave, the bill more compressed ; feathers at base of maxilla extending in a nearly straight obliquely transverse line far back of the nasal tube, those at the base of the lower mandible also extending nearly straight across. b^. Lateral division of the bill naiTower at base than in the middle. (Sub- genus Phoebastria Eeich.') c\ Length 28.50-36.00, wing 18.50-20.50, culmen 4.00-4.25, depth of bill at base 1.45-1.60, tarsus 3.50-3.70, middle toe 4.05-4.40. Adult : Uni- form dusky, more grayish below, the tail-coverts, base of tail, and anterior portion of the head white ; bill dusky purplish brown ; feet black. Young : Similar to adult, but upper tail-coverts dusky, and white of head more restricted (sometimes almost obsolete). Hab. North Pacific; on the American side, from coast of California (very abundant) to Alaska.

81. D. nigripes Aud. Blaok-footed Albatross. c*. Length 33.00-37.00, wing k2 OG 23.00, culmen 5.50-5.60, depth of bill

at base 1.95-2.05, tarsus 3.SO-4.00, middle toe 4.65-4.90. Adult: White, becoming straw-yellow on head and neok ; tail-feathers, remiges, etc, slaty brown, the primaries with yellow shafts. Young : Uniform sooty or dusky, the head and neck nearly black ; shafts of primaries straw-yellow ; bill and feet pale brownish. Hab. North Pacific ; on the American side occurring from California to Alaska, but chiefly northward.

82. D. albatrus Pall. Short-tailed Albatross. b*. Lateral division of bill broader at base than in middle. (Subgenus Thalas-

sarche Eeich.') c^ Lower parts white ; upper parts plain dusky.

d^ Under wing-coverts chiefly, or in large part, white. Adult (and young f) : Head, neck, rump, upper tail-coverts, and entire lower parts white, the sides of the head with a more or less distinct grayish stripe, darkest near the eye ; back and scapu- lars brownish slate, more ashy anteriorly, the wings plain dusky ; color of bill varying from pale yellowish in adult to dark horn-color in young; wing 19.50-20.50, tail 8.00-8.50,

1 Diomedea exulani Link., S. N. ed. 10, i. 1758, 132.

' Phoebastria Bbicii., Syst. Av. 1852, p. v. Type, Diomedea brachytira Tehm., = D. albatru* Pall.

• Thalaisarche Reich., Syst. Av. 1852, p. v. Type, Diomedea melanophryi Boie.

62 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

cnlmfen 4.50-4.60, tarsus 3.05-3.38, middle toe 3.90-4.32. Hah. Southern seas, especially South Pacific, casual off coast of Cali- fornia — . D. melanophrys BoiE. Spectacled Albatross.^

(P. Under wing-coverts uniform dark slaty or grayish brown. Similar in plumage to D. melanophnjs, except under wing-coverts, which aro uniform dusky instead of partly white; bill olive-brownish, the nails dusky ; wing 20.00, tail 9.00, culmen 5.00, depth of bill at base 1.75, tarsus 3.00, middle too (with claw) 4.75. Hab.

(Unknown.)

D. gilliana Coues. Gill's Albatross.*

c*. Lower parts partly grayish bro\vn ; upper parts varied with duskj^ and

white.

Adult (f): Head and neck white, washed with yellow; belly

grayish brown, freckled with white ; upper back and rump

transvei'sely varied with dusky and white. Hab. Pacific coast

of South America (Callao Bay, Peru).

D. irrorata Salvim, Speckled Albatross.'

Genus THALASSOGERON Eidgway. (Pago 50, pi. XIV., fig. 1.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Adult: Upper parts chiefly uniform dark brownish slate, more plumbeous on back, especially anteriorly ; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; tail grayish, the feathers with yellowish white shafts ; lower parts white ; head and neck sometimes white shaded with plumbeous on top of former and hinder part of latter, sometimes entirely light ash-gray, always with a darker space immediately in front of and behind eye, with a white spot on lower cj'elid.

a'- Culmen 4.50 or less ; wing 21.00, or less ; bill blackish, with yellowish culmen.

h^. Culmen continuing bi-oad and flat to the extreme base, which is broad and slightly rounded ; tarsus more than 3.00 ; lower mandible with a yellow- ish stripe along lower edge, from base nearly to the nail ; culmen pale yePowish or greenish ; length about 35.00-37.00, wing 17.75-21.00. tail 8.00-9.00, culmen 4.35-4.50, depth of bill at base 1.70-1.75, tarsus 3.25, middle toe (without claw) 4.30-4.35. Egg 4.18 X 2.C3. Hab. Southern oceans (except South Atlantic?), north, casually, to coast of Oregon.

83. T. culminatus (Gould). Tellow-nosed Albatroaa.

6'. Culmen much compressed, narrowing to an acute angle at extreme base ; tarsus less than 3.00; lower mandible without yellow along lower edge,

^Dinmrdea ntflnnnphn/o " DoiB," Temm. PI. Col. No. 4S6 (1838). GouLD, B. Auitr. pi. 43. B. B. & R. Water n. N. Am. ». 1884, 857.

» Diomeden gilUnna CotiER, Proo. Ao. Nut. Sol. Phil. Mtty, 1806, 181. Typo in luuB. Philadoiplila Aoadouiy Natural Solonoos. (Pcwsibly youiiR of /). melnnnf.hryi.)

» Diomedta irrorata Salvin, P. Z. 8. 1883, 430.

PHCEBETRIA.

68

Hab. 3f Cali- tatroBS.^

Similar , Avhich )wni8b, spth of . Hab.

batross.' sky and

r; belly d rump ic coast

ibatross.*

L-)

rownish l-coverts 9 white ; ner and er space

culmen. oad and yoUow- ncn pale 1.00. tail 8UB 3.25, Jouthern gon.

Jbatrosa. ne base ; iror odf^e,

B. D. A R.

la Aoudouiy

but with a transverse bar of yellow (orange in life) across the base ; culmen orange-yellow in life ; wing about 19.00, tail 7.00, culmen 4.50, depth of bill at base 1.50, tarsus 2.75, middle toe (with claw) 4.25. Hab. Indian, Antarctic, and South Pacific Oceans.

T. chlororhynchus (Gmel.). Qreen-billed Albatross.' fl'. Culmen 4.75 or more ; wing 22.00 ; bill light-cobred (pale grayish, with palo yellowish culmen and nails in life), with black lino across base of upper man- dible and yellow bar at base of lower. (" Clouded with dark gray" in young.) Culmen 4.75-4.90, depth of bill at base 1.90-2.00, tail 10.00, tarsus 3.25, middle too (with claw) 5.00. Hab. South coast of Van Diemon's Land.

T. cautuB (Gould). Cautious Albatross.*

Genus PHCEBETRIA Reichenbacii. (Pago 50, pi. XIV., fig. 2.)

Species.

Adult (?); Neck, back, and lower parts pale smoky gray; sides of head, chin, and throat deep spoty, nearly black around eyes ; eyelids whitish ; wings and tail dark sooty slate, tho shafts of primaries and tail-feathers yellowish toward base ; bill doop black, tho grooves whitish; feet palo reddish or yellowish. Yoxing{?): Entire head deep sooty blackish, fading gradually into deep smoky gray on lower parts, back, rump, and upper taii-covcrts ; wings and tail sooty slate, tho shafts of tho quills and tail-feathers yellowish white; eyelids conspicuously white, except anteriorly ; bill and feet as in supposed adult. Length 34.00-37.00, extent 78.00- 84.00, wing 20.00-21.50, tail 10.50-13.00, the outer feathers 3.00-5.50 shorter. Egg 3.96 X 2.63, white, minutely sprinkled with brown on larger end. Hab. South Pacific, north (casually ?) to coast of Oregon.

84. P. fuliginosa (Gmel.). Sooty Albatross.

Family PROCELLARIIDiE.— The Petrels. (Pago 50.)

Nest a hole among rocks (usually on face of cliffs). Egg single, white (unless

adventitiously stained).

Genera.

rf*. Secondaries 13, or more. (Snbfsuiiil.y ProccUarh'no!.)

fe'. Size very largo (wing 17.00 or more) ; tail-feathors 16 ; bill longer than

tarsus Ossifraga. (Pago 67.)

ft*. Size medium or small (wing 15.00 or less) ; tail-feathers 12-14 ; bill shorter than tarsus. c'. Wing more than 7.00.

dK Culmen more than half as long as miiMlo too, with claw.

c'. Inner side of edge of upper mandible without distinct fringe- like processes.

> Dinmnifn chtnrorhl/nchn QmRu., S. N. 1. 17SS, 569.

* Diomedta eaula Qovld, P. Z. S. vill. 1840, 177; D. Austr. pi. 40.

■

54

ii

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

p. Bill cylindrical or compressed at base, where not broader than deep. g^. Partition between nostrils very thin (very much nar- rower than width of a single nostril), entirely within the nasal tubes. h^. Gonys very slightly or not at all concave, the tip not distinctly decurved ; nasal tubes decidedly longer than gonys... Fulmarus. (Page 57.) h*. Gonys very strongly concave, the tip distinctly de- curved ; nasal tubes not decidedly longer (usu- ally shorter) than gonys (except in Bulweria). i*. Depth of bill at shallowest part more than one-foui'th the length of the lower man- dible, measured along the side. /. Tail more or less graduated, and without white tip. A:^ Tail less than half as long as wing, and graduated for less than one- third its length ; cutting-edge of lower mandible decidedly con- cave ; nail of lower mandible oc- cupying at least one-third the total length of the mandible, measured along its side ; plu- mage and size very variable.

^strelata. (Page 63.) A'. Tail more than half as long as wing, and graduated for more than one-third its length ; cutting- edge of lower mandible straight, or very slightly concave ; nail of lower mandible occupying de- cidedly less than one-third the total length of the mandible, measured along its side ; color uniform dusky ; wing about 8.00. Bulweria. (Pago 69.) /. Tail slightly rounded, and with a distinct white tip.

Cutting-edge of lower mandible straight, and nail of lower man- dible occupying less than one- third its total length, as in Bul- weria; plumage bluish above, and on sides of chest, the lower

PROCELARIID^.

55

andiblo

3r man-

vn ono-

in Bui-

above,

lower

parts, forehead, tips of longer scapulars and of tail white; wing

about 8.00 Halobcena}

P. Depth of bill at shallowest part decidedly- less than one-fourth the length of the lower mandible, measured along its side ; plumage bluish gray above, becoming white on forehead and blackish on wings; beneath entirely white; wing about

9.00 Cookllaria}

g\ Partition between nostrils very thick (as wide as or wider than nostril), ending anteriorly "flush" with, or but little behind, the anterior rim of the nasal tubes. h}. Space between nasal tubes and base of unguis not greater than length of the latter; nostrils not visible from above ; color uniform sooty black (browner below), with or without white mark- ings on head ; wing 13.50 or more.. Majaqueus.* A'. Space between nasal tubes and base of unguis decidedly greater than length of the latter ; nostrils partly (usually entirely) visible from above ; color and size very variable, but wing never more than 15.00 (usually much less).

Puffinus. (Page 58.) /'. Bill flattened, broader than deep at base.

Branches of lower mandible bowed widely apart, the space between mostly unfcathered ; plumage spotted white and dusky above, entirely white beneath.

Daption. (Page 69.) e'. Inner side of edge of upper mandible with distinct fringe-like proccKses ; color bluish above, the tail tipped with black- ish ; beneath white ; wing about 7.00-7.50. /'. Culmen concave ; lateral outlines of bill straight.

Pseudoprion.} p. Culmen straight ; lateral outlines of bill decidedly convex.

Prion}

(P. Culmen less than half as long as middle too, with claw; tail

even ; hind claw very largo, equal in length to the nasal tubes,

measured along the top ; color entirely pure white... Pagodroma*

• Ilalohfenn " Is. OEOFPit. 183fl," Uohav. Coimp. ii. 1857, 193. Type, ProccUnrin cmrulea Umel. ' Ihokilnnn BoNAi'., Compt. Roml. xllii. 185rt, 904. Type, Proeellnria cookii OnAr.

" Maj'nqueuii Rricr., Av. Sy»t. 1852, p. Iv. Type, Proeellnria Kquinoctinlit LlNW.

• Pifudopn'fin Coueh, Pr. Ao. Nat. Scl, Phil. 18M, IM. Type, Prion Uirtur Qould.

> Prion LAcferinr, M(n\. de I'lnnt. IHOO-lHfll, 514. Typo, Prnctllnrin riUata QUKL.

• Payodroma BoSAr., Consp. II. 185fl, 192. Typo, Proeellnria nivea Ombl.

mmmt

66 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

c*. "Wing less than 7.00.

d}. Tarsus decidedly longer than middle toe, with claw ; tail much rounded, or slightly graduate d ; plumage wholly dusky.

Halocyptena. (Page 69.)

cP. Tarsus not longer than middle toe, with claw; tail emarginate,

even, or at most only very slightly rounded.

e*. Tail even, or very slightly rounded ; tarsus twice as long as

the culmen ; color uniform dusky, with white upper tail-

^ coverts Procellaria. (Page 69.)

e*. Tail emarginate or slightly forked; tarsus less than twice as long as the culmen ; color variable.

Oceanodroma. (Page 70.) a*. Secondaries 10. (Subfamily Oceanitince.)

6'. Tarsus exceeding middle too, with claw, by less than the length of the bill

(measured from forehead) ; basal division of middle toe shorter than

rest of toe, including nail.

c*. Culmen (from frontal feathers) less than half as long as middle toe, with

claw.

d}. Front of tarsus distinctly scutellate ; distance from tip of U\i\ to

end of longest upper coverts shorter than middle too ; first quill

shorter than third; lower parts white, forward to the chest;

no white on upper parts Garrodia}

d*. Front of tarsus not scutellate ; distance from tip of bill to end of

longest upper coverts much greater than length of middle toe

with claw ; lower parts dusky^ or striped with dusky ; upper

tail-coverts white.

e'. Claws narrow, pointed ; first quill much shoi'tor than third ;

belly and flanks uniform dusky... Oceanites. (Page 71.)

e*. Claws broad, flat, blunt ; first quill longer than third ; belly

and flanks white striped Avith dusky Pcalea?

c*. 0;ilmen (from frontal feathers) more than half as long as middle toe, with claw ; tarsus 2J times as long as culmen, appreciably scutel- late in front ; nails broad, flat, and blunt ; first quill much shorter

than third Pelagodroma. (Page 72.)

6*. Tarsus exceeding middle toe by more than the length of the culmen; basal division of middle toe longer than rest of toe, including nail ; culmen (from frontal feathers) more than half as long as middle toe, with claw; tarsus 2} times as long as culmen, the anterior scutella) sometimes ap- preciable, sometimes obsolete ; nails excessively broad (nearly us broad as long), flat, triangular ; first quill decidedly shorter than third.

Cymodroma. (Page 71.)

' Odiroiliit Fonnr.s, P. 7., S. 1881, 7M, Type, Pmccllnria nrreit OouLD.

» Peateit Ridow., Auk, ill., July, 1888, .334. Typo, Thalauidroma lineata Pealb.

FULMARVS.

67

Genus OSSIFRAGA Hombron & Jacquinot.

Species.

(Page 53, pi. XV, fig. 1.)

Light phase: Head, neck, and lower parts white; upper parts dusky, the feathers (especially scapulars) sometimes tipped with paler; bill light yellowish. (Sometimes entirely white, relieved only by scattered brown feathers.) JDark phase : Uniform dark sooty brown, sometimes with whitish feathers round base of bill; bill olive-yellowish or grayish white; length, about 30.00-36.00, extent 72.00-84.00, wing 17.00-21.00, culmen 3.50^.00. Ifab. Southern seas, north on Pacific coast of America (casually) to coast of Oregon.

85. O. gigantea (Gmel.). Oiant Fulmar.

Genus FULMARUS Leach. (Pago 54, pi. XVI., figs. 1, 2.)

Species.

I*. B.U short and stout, its greatest depth very nearly half the total length (meas- ured from frontal feathers) ; nasal tubes separated from the unguis by a very narrow space, measuring much less than half as much in length as the former; tail-feathers 14. (Subgenus Fulmarits.) b^. Nasal tubes distinctly dusky, the whole bill sometimes olive-brownish.

c\ Light phase : Head, neck, and lower parts white ; upper parts bluish gray, the quills darker. Dark phase : Entirely smoky gray. Length 18.00-20.00, wing 12.50-13.75 (13.04), culmen 1.45-1.58 (1.50), depth of bill at base .65-.80 (.75). Egg 2.85 X 2.01. Hah. North Atlantic.

86. F. glacialis (Linn.). Fulmar.

c*. Similar in color to F. glacialis, but much smaller; wing 11.80-12.00

(11.90), culmen 1.30-1.38 (1.33), depth of bill at base .00-.70 (.03).

ITab. North Atlantic, south on American side to coast of New

England 86a. F. glacialis minor (Kjaerb.). Leaser Fulmar.

fc'. Nasal tubes light-colored ; bill never dark-colored.

c'. Light phase: In plumage not with cei'tainty distinguishable from the corresponding phase of F. glacialis. Dark phase : Much darker than the corresponding phase of F. glacialis, the color being a uniform deep sooty plumbeous in living and freshly-killed birds, changing to deep sooty brownish in very old skins. Length 17.00-19.00, wing 11.90-12.35 (12.06), culmen 1.35-1.05 (1.48), depth of bill at base .65-.70 (.68). Egg 2.82 X L96. Hab. North Pacific, south along American coast to western Mexico.

B6b. F. glacialis glupischa Stejn. Faciflo Fulmar.

c*. Light phase : Similar to corresponding phase of the preceding, but the

bluish gray of the upper parts broken by a more or less extensive

admixture of white. No dark phase known. Win;; 12.10-12.90

(12.46), c ilmen 1.40-1.60 (1.49), depth of bill at baBo".65-.76 (.72).

8

w

58

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

irr<

Egg 2.83 X 1-91- Sdb. Bering's Sea and portions of the North Pa- cific 86c. F. glacialis rodgersii (Cass.). Kodgers's Fulmar.

rt*. Bill long and slender, its greatest depth much less than half the total length (measured from frontal feathers) ; nasal tubes separated from the unguis by a space measuring much more than half as much in length as the former. 6*. Bill cylindrical at base, or measuring as much in width as in depth ; space between nasal tube and base of unguis about equal to the length of the former; upper parts plain; head white; tail-feathers 14. (Subgenus Priocella IIombr. & Jacq.); Head, neck, and lower parts white ; upper parts pale pearl-gray, the quills darker, with inner webs chiefly white; length 18.00-18.50, wing 13.00, culmen 1.75-2.10, depth of bill at base .65. Hab. South- ern seas, north along Pacific coast of America to coast of Washing- ton Territory... 87. F. glacialoides (Smith). Slender-billed Fnlmar. b*. Bill compressed, or higher than broad, at base ; space between nasal tube and base of unguis less than the length of the former ; upper parts parti- colored ; head dusky ; tail-feathers 12. (Subgenus Thalassoica Eeich.*) Head and neck sooty grayish, darker on top ; back, scapulars, rump, tip of tail, primary-coverts, lesser wing-coverts, and greater part of primaries, sooty slate ; lower parts, secondaries, greater wing-coverts, inner webs of primaries, tail (except terminal band), and upper tail- coverts, white; wing 12.50, culmen 1.40. Hah. Antarctic seas.

F. antarcticus (Gmkl.). Antarctic Fulmar.*

Genus PUFFINUS Brisson. (Page 65, pi. XVI., figs. 3, 4.)

Species. '. Nostrils only partially visible from above, the nasal tubes elevated and inflated anteriorly, where broader than at base; under wing-coverts dusky, and lower parts white. (Subgenus Priofinus Hombr. & Jacq.) 6'. Above ash-gray, more or less tinged with brown, darker on top of head, quills, and tail-feather ; lower parts white, except under wing-coverts and under tail-coverte, which ai*e deep smoky grayish ; bill light yel- lowish, with deep black culmen and nasal tubes, the side of lower man- dible also mostly black; wing 12.25-13.60, culmen 1.76-1.86, depth of bill in front of nostril .50-55, tarsus 2.25-2.30, middle toe, with claw, 2.90. Hah. South Pacific, north, casually, to coast of California.

97. P. cinereus (Gmel.). Black-tailed Shearwater.

6'. Above brown, the upper tail-coverts tipped with white; wings and tail

blackish ; lower parts white, including under wing-coverts and tail-

covcrts ; bill yellowish, passing into dusky at tip ; wing 15.00, tarsus

2.35, middle toe, with claw, 3.15. Hah. Antarctic seas.

P. geliduB (Omel.). Ice Petrel.*

• Thataitnicn Reich., Syst. Av. 1852, p. iv. Type, Proceltaria antarcltca Qmbl.

« ProceUnria antnrcHcn Dmel., 8. N. i. pt. U. 1788, 666. Tkallatoiea antaretica RfilCB., Syst. Av. 1862, p. iv.

* Proeellnria gelida Omkl., S. N. i. 1788, 664.

PVFFINVS.

69

irater.

tail tail- arsuB

» p. iv.

a}. Nostrils completely visible from above, the nasal tubes depressed and bevelled anteriorly, where narrower than at base j under wing-coverts white, or else lower parts also dusky. 6*. Tail much less than half the wing, slightly rounded, or moderately gradu- ated (the graduation not more than two-thirds the length of the tarsus). (Subgenus Puffinus.) c*. Lower parts white.

d\ Wing more than 12.00.

e*. No distinct line of demarcation between white of throat, etc., and smoky gray of top and sides of head and neck ; bill yellowish ; above brownish gray, feathers of back, etc., tipped with paler; sides of head and neck transversely undulated with ash-gray and white. /'. Lower tail-coverts entirely white.

g\ Length about 18.00, wing 13.00-14.00, eulmcn 1.80- 2.00, depth of bill through base .65-.70, tarsus 1.85- 2.00, middle toe 2.10-2.25. Downy young : Uni- form sooty grayish brown. Hab. Middle eastern Atlantic ; a specimen from Greenland said to bo in Lej'den Museum (cf. Schleq. Mus. P.-B., Pro- cellarice, 1863, p. 24).

P. kuhlii (Bote). Cinereous Shearwater.' g\ Length about 20.00-22.00, wing 13.75-14.50, culmen 2.10-2.25, depth < bill at base .75-.80, tarsus 2.20- 2.25, middle toe ;i'.45. Hab. "Western North At- lantic (oflf coast of Massachusetts).

88. P. borealis Cory. Cory's Shearwater. /*. Lower tail-coverts uniform dark sooty grayish.

Length 19.00, wing 12.50-13.25, culmen 1.60-1.70, depth of bill through base .65-.75, tarsus 2.05-2.12, middle toe 2.15-2.40. Hab. Eastern Pacific Ocean from California to Chili.

91. P. creatopus Coues. Fink-footed Shearwater.

€*. White of throat, etc., separated very abruptly from the dusky

color of top and sides of head and neck ; bill blackish.

Above smoky grayish brown, feathers of back, etc., with

paler tips ; longer upper tail-coverts mostly white ;

belly more or less clouded with smoky gray, the flanks

and lower tail-coverts mostly grayish brown ; length

19.00-20.00, wing 11.50-13.00, culmen 1.80-1.85. Hab.

Atlantic Ocean generally.

89. P. major Faber. Greater Shearwater. <P. Wing loss than 10.00.

e'. Above sooty slate, without white tips to wing-oovorts, etc.

> For references, 8ee A. 0. U. Cbeok List, p. 850.

60

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

/*. Tarsus 1.75, or more. g\ Tail 3.10, or less.

Above uniform sooty blackish, the head and neck not perceptibly paler ; lower tail-coverts mixed white and dusky, in greatly varying relative amount; length 13.00-15.00, wing 8.50-9.25, tail 2.60-3.10, culmcn 1.35-1.40, depth of bill at base .40-.45, tarsus 1.70-1.80, middle toe 1.65-1.70. Downy young: Sooty brownish gray above, grayish white below. Egg 2.36 X 1-62. Hab. Northern Atlantic (chiefly the eastern side) and Mediterranean

Sea 90. P. puffinus (BrUnn.). Manx

Shearwater. g^. Tail 3.25, or more.

Above uniform sooty slate, appreciably paler on head and neck ; lower tail-coverts wholly sooty grayish; length 12.25-15.00, wing 9.00-9.10, tail 3.25-3.80, culmen 1.30-1.40, depth of bill at base .35, tarsus 1.75, middle toe 1.70-1.75. Egg 1.79 X 1-27. Hab. Pacific Ocean, from

Lower California to New Zealand 93, P.

gavia (FoRST.). Blaok-vented Shearwater. p. Tarsus 1.65, or less.

g^. Lower tail-coverts with more or less of dusky.

h}. Above uniform sooty black ; white of under side of head extending upward ncarl}'- or quite to the eye, sometimes involving part of the lores ; length about 11.00, wing 7.60-8.40, tail 3.50, culmen 1.20-1.25, depth of bill at base .35, tarsus 1,50-1.65, middle toe 1.45-1.60. Egg 2.05 X 1-45. Hab. Warmer parts of Atlantic Ocean, north, casually, to coast of New Jer- sey 92. P. auduboni Finsch. Audubon's

Shearwater. A'. Similar in color to P. auduboni, but smaller, the bill shorter and more slender, the wing longer; wing 7.00, tail 3.26, culmcn .98, tarsus 1.44, middle toe 1.42. Hab. Pacific Oce.an ? (" King George's Sound" *).

P. tenebroBus Pelz. Pelzeln's Shearwater.'

• L\TBAM ("Synopsis," iii. pt. ii. p. 417) says "King George's Sound, on the American coast"; but voM Pelzeln (Ibis, 1873, p. 47) tliinlcs tliat this is a mistalte, King George's Sound on the west coast of Australia being meant instead.

* PuffiiiiiB tenebrottit Pelz., Ibis, 1873, 47.

PUFFINUS

ei

(/'. Lower tail-coverts entirely white.

A'. Dusky of head extending far below the eye, the white being almost confined to throat and fore-neck ; wing 8.30, culmen 1.25, tarsus 1.55, middle toe, with claw, 1.85. Hab. Indian Ocean, and southeastward to New Zealand.

P. obscurus (Gmel.). Dusky Shearwater.*

/i*. Dusky of head not descending below the eye, the

eai'-coverts and greater part of lores being

Avhite ; wing 6.50, culmen about 1.00, tarsus

1.25. Hab. Australian seas.

P. assimilis Gould. Allied Shearwater, c*. Above plumbeous, the larger wing-coverts, scapulars, etc., nar- rowly tipped with whitish. Lower parts entirely white ; wing 7.30, tail 2.70, culmen 1.07, tarsus 1.70, middle toe, with claw, 1.95. Hab. South Atlantic.

P. elegans Giql. & Salvad. Elegant Shearwater.* Lower parts uniform dusky, or sooty gray (the chin and throat some- times whitish). d}. Bill black or dusky.

e^. Culmen much longer than the combined length of the first two divisions of the outer toe. /^ Wing more than 11.00 ; bill horn-gray or dusky brownish ; under wing-coverts mottled with white and smoky gray, and with dusky shaft-streaks. g^. Under wing-coverts gray, transversely mottled with white at tips; length about 16.00, wing 11.15- 12.00, culmen 1.60-1.75, depth of bill at base .50- .55, tarsus 2.05-2.15, middle toe 2.05-2.20. Egg 2.58 X 1-78. Hab. North Atlantic, from the New- foundland Banks to South Carolina on the Ameri- can side.

94. P. Strickland! Eidgw. Sooty Shearwater.

gf". Under wing-covcrts white, ti'ansvorsoly mottled with

gray at tips; wing 11.15-12.00, culmen 1.55-1.70,

depth of bill at base .45-.55, tarsus 2.12-2.36,

middle toe 2.05-2.25. Hab. South Pacific, north,

on American side, to California 95. P. griseus

(Gmel.). Dark-bodied Shearwater.

' Procellaria obicura Gmbl., S. N. i. pt. ii. 1788, 550. Puffimu obtcurui Reich., Novit. Syuop. Av. Natat. Dec. 1850 (second page).

' Pi«^.iM« aiiimiliii Gohld, P. Z. S. 18.37, 186; B. Austr. vii. pi. 69.

' Ptiffinut elcgaiiB OiQLiOLi & Salvadori, Ibis, 1869, 67, 68. Saltin, Rowley's Orn. Miso. pt. ir. 1876, 266, pi. 34.

sa

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

p. Wing less than 10.00; bill deep black; under wing-covcrts

uniform deep sooty black.

Uniform sooty black, the lower parts much darker

and browner than in stricklandi and griseus ; wing

9.80, tail 3.50, culmen 1.25, tarsus 1.70, middle too,

with claw, 1.98. Ilab. Pacific Ocean (Christmas

Island).

P. nativitatis Streets. Christmas Island Shearwater.'

e*. Culmen loss than the combined length of the first two divisions

of the outer toe.

Above dark sooty slate, beneath deep sooty gray, paler

on throat, where sometimes inclining to whitish ; wing

10.00-11.10, tail 3.20-3.60, culmen 1.20-1.28, depth of

bill at base .35-.50, tarsus 1.90-2.00, middle toe, with

claw, 2.18-2.42. Hab. Pacific Ocean, from Alaska and

Kamtschatka to Australia 96. P. tenuirostris

(Temm.). Slender-billed Shearwater. <P, Bill light-colored (pinkish or fleshy white in life), the nails black- ish. Hab. Off western coast of Australia.

P. carneipes Oould. Flesh-footed Shearwater.* f. Tail nearly or quite half as long as the wing, graduated for about as much as the length of the tarsus. (Subgenus Theillus Gloger.') c^ Lower parts uniform sooty grayish.

d}. Bill dusky or brownish, with flesh-colored or reddish tinge in life ; wing 10.50-11.25, tail 5.00-6.00 (graduated for about 2.00), cul- men 1.60, tarsus 1.90, middle too, with claw, 2.35. Hab. Aus- tralian seas P. sphenurus Gould. Wedge-tailed Shearwater.*

d*. Bill " greenish orange," with black tip and culmen ; rather larger than P. sphenurus. Hab. Indian Ocean, from western Australia to Cape of Good Hope.

P. chlororhynchus Less. Green-billed Shearwater.' c*. Lower parts white.

Top and sides of head white, spotted and streaked with blackish ;

wing 11.25-12.50, tail 5.85 (graduated for about 1.80), culmen

1.85, tarsus 1,85, middle too, with claw, 1.30. Hab. Japanese seas.

P. leucomelas (Temm.). Streaked Shearwater.*

» Puffimw {Nectrxt) nativitatis Strrkts, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 7, 1877, 29.

* Puffinut carneipei Oould, P. Z. 8. 1844, 57.

» Theillut Gloo., " V. Fror. Notii. 1827, xvi. 279." Typo, Piiffinu* chlororhynchua Lk88. (?).

* Puffinua sphenurut Gould, Ann. Mag. N. H. let ser. xiii. 1844, 365 ; B. Austr. vii. pi. 68.

* Puffinui chlororhynchut Less., Trait*, 1831, 613.

* Proeellaria leucomeiat Tehm., Pi, Col. livr, 99, pi, 587 (1838), Pnffimta leucomelat Bonap., Consp. ii. 185G, 203.

JESTRELATA.

63

Genus ^STRELATA Bonaparte. (Page 54, pi. XVI., fig. 6.)

Species.

Inner webs of primaries wholly dusky, except sometimes toward base, i'. Plumage largely or chiefly white beneath, c'. Upper tail-coverts same color as back. d}. Wing more than 9.00.

e^ Tail ash-gray, the exterior feathers whitish, mottled with gray ; back, scapulars, rump, etc., plain ash-gray or light plumbeous; wings much darker; lower parts white, the sides of the chest and neck waved or barred with ash- gray. f\ Wing 11.50-12.00, tail 5.00-5.90, culmen 1.45-1.50, tarsus 1.65-1.70, middle toe, with claw, 2.40-2.45; top of head almost entirely white. Hab. South Pacific and

Indian Oceans.

JB,. lessoni (GARy.). Lesson's Petrel.^

/'. Wing 9.50-10.50, tail 4.50, cuhncn 1.10, tarsus 1.33, middle toe, with claw, 1.75 ; top of head deep ash-gray, except anteriorly. Hab. South Pacific and Antarctic Oceans.

JE, mollis (Gould). Downy Petrel.* e*. Tail uniform dusky, the exterior feathers sometimes mottled with whitish. /*. Axillars and under wing-coverts uniform smoky gray or dusky, gr*. Culmen 1.25, or more.

h}. Width of upper mandible at base equal to the height of the closed bill at base. Head, neck, and chest uniform sooty grayish brown, darker above, where nearly the same shade as the uniform dai'k sooty color of the upper parts generally ; entire sides, flanks, and outer webs of exterior lower tail-coverts sooty grayish brown, like under surface of wing; rest of lower parts white; wing 11.10, tail 4.70 (gradu- ated for 1.40), culmen 1.28, width of bill at base .65, depth .65, tarsus 1.75, middle

1 Procellarin leiioni Oabnot, Ann. Sc. Nat. vii. 1826, 54, flg. 4. JEttrelata lessoni Cass., Proo. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 18fi2, 327.

* Procellaria mollii GoCLD, Ann. * Mag. N. H. xiii. 1844, 363; B. Austr. vll. pi. 60. ^ttrelata mollii CouKS, Proe. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1866, 150.

64 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

toe, with claw, 2.15. Hnb. South Pacific (Tahiti).

JB,. rostrata (Peale). Thick-billed Petrel.> A'. "Width of upper mandible at base decidedly less than height of closed bill at base, i*. Under tail-coverts dusky.

Head, neck, and chest smoky grayish brown, paler on chest (where feath- ers are white immediately beneath the surface), still paler on throat, where almost white ; sides and top of head, hind-neck, back, and scapulars deeper smoky brownish gray, the dorsal feathers with paler narrow tips ; wings, rump, and tail dusky ; breast and belly soiled white ; wing 12.17-12.50, tail 5.15-6.40 (graduated for 1.60), culmen 1.42-1.60, tarsus 1.65, middle too, with claw, 1.95-2.42. Hab. Southern oceans, including vi- cinity of Tiorra del Fuego. M. incerta (Sciileq.). Schlegel's Petrel.* t*. Under tail-coverts white.

Otherwise, much like jE. incerta, but throat and a superciliary space more distinctly white; wing 12.00-12.21, tail 5.00-5.50, tarsus 1.49-1.60, mid- dle toe, with claw, 2.20. Hah. South Pacific.

M. magenue Giql. & Salvad. Magenta

Petrel.* g*. Culmen, 1.14, or less.

A*. Tail 4.75, or more ; culmen 1.12, or more.

Above uniform dusky, more grayish an- teriorly, especially on forehead; chest, entire sides, and under surface of wing dusky sooty brown, more gray across chest ; thi'oat whitish ; breast, bellj'-, and greater part of under tail-coverts white ; wing 11.20-11.41, tail 4.75-5.50, culmen 1.12-1.14, tarsus 1.30-1.35, middle toe,

' Procellaria roitrata Peale, Zool. U. S. Kxpl. 1848, 296, tttl. pi. 41. jEslrelata rostrata Coves, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1866, 144.

s Procellaria incerta ScnLEG., Mas. P.-B., Prncellarim, 1863, 9. jEttrelata incerta CODES, Pr. Ao. Nat. Sol. T>hil. 1866, 147.

'^ ^utrelata magenta GiGL. & Saltao., Ibis, 1869, 61. Saltin, Rowley's Om. Miso. pt. iv. 1876, 251, pi. 30.

4

jESTRELATA.

65

with claw, 1.83-1.90. Hab. South At- lantic (island of Trinidad).

JE,. arminjoniana Giul. & Salvad. Ar-

minjon's Petrel.' h}. Tail 4.60, or less; culmen 1.10, or less.

Similar in color to uE. arminjoniana, but much darker above, the color indininij to uniform sooty black throughout, the fore- head and chest more brownish ; Aving 10.50-11.10, tail 4.40-4.G0, culmen 1.08- 1.10, tarsus 1.28-1.35, middle toe, with claw, 1.70-1.78. Hah. South Tacific (Ilondon and Christmas Islands). JE. parvirostris (Pealk). Small-billed Petrel.' /*. Axillars and under wing-coverts white.

Upper parts, including hind-neck and upper tail- coverts, uniform brownish slate, darker on wings and tail and nearly black on head, the feathers of hind-neck and the upper tail-coverts (the latter ■^ery abruptly) white beneath the surface; fore- head, lores, cheeks, and entire lower parts white, the sides and longer lower tail-coverts sometimes irregular]}' barred with dusky; wing 11.80-12.00, tail 5.50-5.75 (graduated for about 2.40), culmen 1.22, tarsus 1.40, middle toe, with claw, 1.78. Hah. Middle Pacific, from Sandwich Islands to the Galapagos.

JE. phasopygia Salv. Dark-rumped Petrel.* d*. "Wing less than 9.00.

Plumage much as in JE. pho'opi/gia, but back, scapulars, and upper tail-coverts decidedly plumbeous, the latter not white beneath surface ; wing 8.40-8.60, tail 3.80-4.00 (graduated for about 1.40), culmen .95-.98, tarsus .95-1.00, middle toe, with claw, 1.30-1.32. Hah. Southern oceans generally.

JE. leucoptera (Gould). White-winged Petrel.* c*. Upper tail-coverts plain white, in marked contrast with color of back.

1 ^itrelata arminjoniana GiQL. & Salvad., Ibis, 1860, 62. Salviit, Rowley's Cm. Miso. pt. iv. 1876, 252, pi. !il.

* Protellaria parvirottrit Peale, Zool. U. S. Expl. 1848, 298, Atl. pi. 40. jEstrelata parviroetrit CoUBS, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1866, 146.

* (Etlrelata phaopygia Salvih, Trans. Zool. Soo. Lond. i.x. pt. ix. 1875, 507, pi. 88, fig. 1. (Galapagos.) ? (Eatrelata landwichenais RiDflW., Water B. N. Am. ii. 1884, .'595, in text. (Sandwich Islands.)

* Prncellarin leucoptera QoiiLD, P. Z. S. 1844, 57 ; B. Austr. pi. 51. (-■ J^atrelata cookii CoCFS et Al'CT. . but, having compared specimens, I am able to sny that Procellaria leucnptera Godld and P. cookii Gray are not only specifically distinct but belong to entirely diflerent genera, the latter being the type of Conkilnria BoNAP., distinguished from uEttrelata, among other characters, by its lengthened, slender, Shearwater-like bill, as noted on page 65.)

66 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

Top of head, and upper parts generally, except upper tail-coverts, uniform dusky, the back and scapulars paler, with perceptibly still paler terminal margins to the feathers ; upper tail-coverts, basal half (approximately) of tail, hea 1 and neck, except top of the former (and sometimes the hind-neck also), together with lower parts, including axillars and under wing-coverts, pure white; the sides of the chest sometimes with a brownish gray wash; length 14.00-16.00, wing 11.40-11.75, tail 4.80-5.30 (graduated for 1.25-2.00), culmen 1.22-1.38, tarsus 1.40-1.45, middle toe, with claw, 1.98-2.10. Hab. Middle Atlanac, strag- gling to coasts of North America (Florida and Long Island) and Europe.... 08. ./£. hasitata (Kuul). Black-capped Petrel h*. Plumage of lower parts chiefly or entirely dusky.

c'. Upper tail-covorts pale smoke-gray or grayish white, in marked contrast.

Entirely (except upper tail-coverts) uniform sooty brownish, rather paler and grayer below ; wing 10.80-11.00, tail 4.95-5.00 (gravluated for 1.18-1.20), tarsus 1.38-1.40, middle toe, with claw, 1.95-2.00. Hab. Jamaica and adjacent portions of Carib- bean Sea.

A: . jamaicensis (Bancroft). Jamaican Petrel.* c*. Upper tail-''ov'M'ts dusky, like rost of plumage. d^. Winj^ .nore than 9.50.

I'}. Plumage sooty black above.

Lower parts very dark sooty slate, tbe feathers white beneath the surface ; wing 10.75-12.00, tail 4.50-5.G0 (gradiuited for about 1.20), culmen 1.35. tarsus 1.55- 1.00, middle toe, with claw, 2.20-2.40. Jfah. Southern Atlantic, and Antarctic Ocean in vicinity of Kevguolen Island.

M, atlantica (Oori.rt). Atlantic Petrel.* e'. Plumage slaty or dark sooty grayish or plumbeous above.

/'. Larger (wing more than 11.00); wing 11.20, tail 4.55, culmen 1.10, tarsus 1.25, middle toe, with claw, 1.80. Hab. South Atlantic (vicinity of Trinidad Island).

JE. trinitatis (\w\.. & Sai.vad. Trinidad Petrel.* p. Smaller (wing less tlian 11.00) ; wing 9.08-10.20. tail 4.17- 4.35, culmen 1.05-1.08. tarsus 1.35-1.46, middle too, with claw, 1.69-1.78. JTab. Sotithern oceans.

/B. brev! JBtris (Lkss.). Short-billed Petrel.*

• Prorrflnriii fnmnirrntiii BANriioKT, Zool. Jour. v. 1828, 81. (Ktlrclatn jnmaiveutiii A. A E. NkwtoK, llandb. .Tain. 1881, 117.

' ri-<>crir,ir!n nihintii'ii floi'l.n, Ann. Mng. N. II. xiii. 1811, .^62.

• .Kxtirlntii irinitatid Sai.vad. A (lioi,., Ibl«, 186tf, O.'i. SALvrjf, Rowley'i Orn. MIso. pt. iv. 1878, 253 pi. M2.

• Proeellan'it hrrvirottrit Lmh., Trnlttf, IS.'ll, (511. (Kutrclitta btt trotlrin Salvin, Rowley's Orn. MIm. pt.

kL'%u.

JESTRELATA.

67

with

Petrel.*

I)V0.

Iiil 4.55, ]w, 1.80. jnd).

Petrel.* lil 4.17- jllo too,

Petrel.*

Nkwtoh,

iMiio. pt.

d*. Wing lesa than 9.50.

Plumage sooty blackish ; wing 9.15, tail 3.82 (graduated for about .44), culmen 1.10, tarsus 1.46, middle too, with claw, 1.55. Hab. Wost coaaL of Africa; vicinity of Bourbon Island.

JE. aterrima (Sohleo.). Black Petrel.' a*. Inner weba of primaries abruptly white for at least the inner half. ^'. Wing more than 9.00.

c'. "Back unitbrm grayish, brownish, or dusky. <Z*. Top of head, back, etc., plain dusky.

e*. Shafts of quills whitish ; head, neck, and upper parts plain dark brownish gray, paler (nearly white) on throat and fore-neck ; bnnist, flanks, and under tail-coverts brownish graj' ; reat cf iower parts sometimes white, some'imea entirely dui>ky ; wing 11.19-11.(54, tail 3.91-4.17, c*ilmen 1.20. Hah. South Pacific, from Sunday Island to Juan Fernamlez.

JE. neglecta (Srni.En.). Neglected Petrel.' c*. Shafts of quills dark browei ; head, neck, and upjicr parts plain dark slaty (leathers of head and neck whito beneath sur- face, those of back, etc., white at base) ; upper tail-coverts and tail brownish ash-gray; lores, chin, throat, and ini<ler tail-coverts white, the first mi.xcd with l)lackisli ; breast, Wily, sides, and flanks ])lain brownish jilumbeotis, the feaihors ]>iiro white immediately beneath surface; thighs and chest whiie irregularl}' bariod or vermiculated with deep grayish ; wing 10.00, tail 4.00 (graiiuated for .90) oiiimen 1.02, dojith of bill at base .50, tarsus 1.20, middlo toe, with claw, 1.55. ILih. Antarctic Ocean.

JE. gularis (1'kai.k). Peale's Petrel.* d}. Top of head white, s]M»tted with grayish.

Hack and scapulars line bluish gray, or jilumbeoua ; lesser wiiig-covcrts slaty blackish ; greater and middle coverts white-gray, broadly mai'gined wjt.i white; tail mostly white, irregularly l)arred and vermicidaled with gray; lores, cheeks, (diiii, throat, middle of chesl, and un<lcr tail- coverts immaculate pure white ; a blackish spot imme- diately beneath eye ; sides of neck and chest densely

V. lH7n, 2.1.') (in U'\\). .Kuti-vliitn r/nurd roiKM, Pr. Ai'. Nut. Sd. Plliln. ISdit, HS (px Pnirrllnrin yritrn Kmi,, nee Lath.). (tUlrrlnlo ktildrriViWV.r, Hull. V S. Nut. Miis. No. 2, 187.'), 28 (Kormiolen IkIiiikI).

> I'litrrllnri'n alrrrimn " VpnnKAI'X," iScill.KO. Mug. P.-B., Pnicelliirir, ISfl.'l, 0. ^Kutrrtnln iitrrrimn Corns. Pr. Ap. Nut. BpI. Phil. \M(\. \M.

' I'ritrrllnriii uriihrtii Srill.Kil.. Mllf. P.-H., PftirrUnriir, 180.1, 10, .1-Utrrlixtit nrijhrtii Coi'Kd, Proo. Ac, Nnf.Soi. Phil. 1800, 147.

' I'nirillaiiii ipilnri^ Pk.m.k, Zonl. V. S Kxpl. Kxi). 1818, 2Ul). (Eitrtliila yularit U11KW8T., Uull. Nutt. Orn. Club, iv. 1881, Ul (purl).

jBssmmmmmmm

68 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

mottled and vermiculated with ash-gray and white, but the former prevailing ; lower breast, belly, sides, and flanks smoky plumbeous superficially, but the feiithcrs all pure white immediately beneath the surface; wing 10.15, ^ail 4 (graduated for .90), culmen 1.00, tarsus 1.25, middle too, with claw, 1.70. Mab. North Pacific, in vicinity of Alaska (Kadiak).

100. JE. fisheri Eioaw. Fisher's Petrel c*. Back plumbeous or plumbeous-blacU, the feathers bordered with gray- ish, or whitish, producing a scaled appearance. dK Above plumbeous-black, the feathers of back and scapulars mar- gined with gray; hind-neck white, with tips of the feathers pale gray; forehead and lower parts white; wing 11.50, tail 5.00, tarsus 1.40, middle toe, with claw, 1.90. Hab. Eastern South Pacific (island of Masafuora"*

JE. externa Salv. Salvin's Petrel.* d*. Above, including whole top of head, dark bluish gray, the foiitlicrs of back and scapulars broadly bordered terminally with ashy white, the middle and greater wing-coverts similarly marked ; chin, throat, chost, centre of breast, and under tail-coverts plain white; n-nt of lower ])arts vermiculated and irregularly barred with slate-gray or plumlieous, this becoming uniform and some- what darker on belly; tail chiefly plain light brownish gray; wing 9.8H tail :i95, culmen 1.03. depth of bill at base .40, tarsus 1.I57, middle toe, with claw, 1.70. Jfah. Unknown; the siii'^^lo B])ecimen obtained huving been taken in Livingston Co., New York, in April, 1880.

99. /E. scalaris Brewst. Scaled Petrel." ft'. Wing not more than 9.00.

Above slati'-grav or ])lumbeous. becoming more jmhy anteriorly, thin changing to white on lbrehea<l and over eyes, outer surface of wings uniform ; lower parts entirely white, except sides of breast, which are ash-gray, like hind-neck ; wing 8.70-9.00, tail 3.80-4.00 (graduated for about 1.00), cuhnen 1.04-1.05. tai'sus 1.07-1 12. luidillo too, with claw, 1.40. Ifuli. Mastern South Pacific.

JE. defllippiana (iioL. & Salvao. De Filippi's Petrel.'

' (H'trrliiln rxtrrnn f AI.V., Thii«, .Iillv, \K!t, MT.'l.

' ( ".I'. 'lulnrlH" iif tlin A. O. II. Clieok LlHt, but not Prorclliiriti giilariii PlCAl.ti,) A^ntrrinta nrnlitrim IJiir.WHT., All!., iii. .Inly, IHdft, ;i(H).

0 .Knlrelnla drJilippiitHn OlOI.. A Salvad,, Ibix, 1800, 6.1.

BVLWERIA.

69

\ita ordliirit

Genus BULWERIA Bonaparte. (Page 64, pi. XIV., fig. 5.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Plumage entii*ely dusky sooty brownish darker on upper parts.

a'. Greater wing-coverts rather light sooty grayish brown, like lower parts; above dark sooty brown, paler on greater wing-coverts, nearly black on lesser wing- coverts and quills ; lower partH uuiform sooty grayish brown. Downy yomuj : Uniform dark sooty brown. Length about 10.00, wing 7.70-8.00, tail 4.50- 4.75, graduated lor 1.45-1.75, culinen .85-1.00, tarsus .yO-1.10, middle toe .95. £!g(j 1.73 X 1-2. Bab. Eastern Middle Atlantic, chiefly in the vicinity of the Canaries and Madeira ; accidental at Bermudas and near coast of Green- land 101. B. bulweri (Jard. & Selbv). Bulwer's Petrel.

rt'. Greater wing-coverts blacki.sh, like rest of wings. ("Like T. buliccri, but with

bill rather larger; and it is without the sooty brown on the wings." —

Gray.)

B. tnacgillivrayi (Gray). Macgillivray's Petrel.*

Genus DAPTION Stepdens. (Page 55, pi. XIL, fig. 3.)

tSpecies.

Lower parts (except chin and throat), rump, upper tail-coverts, and basal two- thiidsof tail, together with greater portion of scapulars and secondaries, white; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, marked with triangular spots of dark sooty plumbeous ; wing, excojn as descrilted, chiefly sf>oty plumbeous, as is also the terminal third of the tail; bill deep black ; length about 15.00, wing 10.25-11.00, culmen about 1.25. J£ab. Southern seas in general, north, on Pacific coast of America (accidentally only ?) to California 102. D. capensis (Linn.). Pintado Petrel.

Gb!»tt.s HALOCYPTENA Coues. (Page 56, pi. XIL, fig. 4.)

Species. ish. lighter and more brownish on lower parts, middle and H. and fore part of head ; bill atid feet uniform bhuk ; length 4.80 tail 2.50. the outer feathers .40 shorter; culmen .45, tarsus Hah. Coust of Low«'r California.

103. H. microsoma CouEs. Least Petrel.

»^rROCELLARIA Linnjehs. (Page 5(5, pi. XVII., fig. 4.)

Speries. *'l««RArTER8. — General roWrr nooty blackish, paler or more sooty below, tbe upiMT tail ''overt* white; hill and feet wholly black.

Thalw

(BtUitMrim) M>icy,m»*,mfi U. R. URAr, Cut. Ulrdt U\. PkolHr, 1869, 5(1.

70

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

a*. Longer upper tail-coverts broadlj' tipped with black ; under side of wing with more or less of white; tail even, or slightly rounded ; length 5.50-5.75, wing 4.50^.90, tail 2.40-2.fi0, eulmen .40-.50, tarsus .90, middle toe .60-.G5. Eijg 1.09 X .83. Hab. North Atlantic, south to Newfoundland Banks and western coast of Africa 104. P. pelagica Linn. Storm Petrel.

a'. Longer upper tail-coverts entirely white ; no while on under side of wing ; tail emarginate('. ; wing 5.20, tail 2.40, the middle leathers .20 shorter ; tarsus .85, middle toe (with claw?) .70. Hab. Vicinity of the Galapagos Islands.

P. tethys BoxAF. Galapagos Storm Petrel.'

Genus OCEANODROMA Reichenbach. (Page 56, pi. XVII., figs. 1, 2.)

/Species.

Common Characters. — Above dusky or grayish, with or without wliito on U])per tail-coverts ; lower parts uniform bluish gray or sooty, or white interrupted by a grayish band across chest.

a}. No white on upper tail-coverts.

i'. A white dollar round hind-neck.

Lower parts wiiito, with a grayish collar across chest; upper parts grayi."<li, the quills blackish, the forehead and sides of head white;

length aliouL 8.25, wing ?, tail 3.75, tarsus 1.00. Hab. North

Pacific (" Noi'thwest coast of America").

— . O. hornbyi (Gray). Hornby's Petrel. 6'. No white collar round hind-neck.

c' Color bluish gray, aliove and below.

Uniform bluish gray, fading to white on chin, throat, and under tail-coverts; orbital region, longer scapulars, innermost wing- coverts, anterior and outer lesser wing-coverts, together with quills, dusky; other lesser coverts, middle and greater coverts, and tertials, broadly edged with ashy white; length 8.00-9.20, wing 5.90-0.40. tail 3.75-4.00 (forked" for about 1.00). Eipj 1.37 X 103. Ildb. North Pa<'i(ie, south on the .Xmeviean side to

Oregon 105. O. furcata (Gmel.). Fork-tailed Petrel.

c*. Color sooty brownish or dusky, al)oA-;> and below. J}. Wing more tliar> fi.50 ; tarstjs 1.00. or more.

r'. Sooty blackish. lighter and browner beneath, the greater wing- coverts and out(M' webs of tertials light grayish brown; wing O.SO, tail 3.90 (forked tor about 1.20), tarsus 1.20. Hab. Coast of Me.xici), north to Lower California.

107. O. melania (Honai'.). Black Petrel.

r*. Sooty slate-color, the bead, including throat, appreciably jmler

and more plumbeous; greater wing-coverts light grayish;

> f'roritllnrin trthi/f DnNAP,, C'nin)). Umid. xxxviii. 1804, 602; Cunxp. ii. 1857, 1U7. Salv. Trans. Zoul. Suo. LuuU. Ix. pt. ix. 1875, 507, pi. 88, flg. 2.

OCEANITES.

71

wing 6.90, tail 3.80 (forked for about 1.20), tarsus 1.00. Hab. Coast of Pei*u.

O. markhami (Salv.). Markbam's Petrel.' d}. "Wing less than 6.00 ; tarsus less than 1.00,

Smoky pluihbeous, the wing-coverts lighter and more brown, quills and tail dusky, rump and upper tail-coverts ashy plumbeous; wing 5.30-5.40, tail 3.30-3.50 (forked for .70- .90), tarsus .80-90. Hab. Coast of California.

108. O. homochroa (Coues). Ashy Petrel, a*. Upper tail-coverts white.

i'. Upper tail-coverts without black tips; tail-feathers grayish at base; uni- form sooty, darker above ; upper tail-coverts white, usually more or less mixed with grayish; length 7.50-8.90, wing 0.00-0.30, tail 3.50-4.00 (forked for .80-.90), tarsus 90-.95 ; feet (including webs) entirely black. E(jg 1.33 X .97. Mab. Seas of the northern hemisphere.

lOG. O. leucorhoa (Yieill.). Leach's Petrel.

b*. Longer upper tail-coverts broadly tipped with black; tail-feathers exten-

.'iively pure white at base ; bill and feet (including webs) entirely black ;

wing 5.80-6.30, tail 3.00-3.15 (forked for .20-.30), tarsus .85-.90. Hub.

Sandwich Islands.

O. cryptoleucura IliDuw. Sandwich Island Petrel.'

Genus OCEANITES IvEYSEnLiNo & Blasius. (Pago 5G, pi. XVII., fig. 3.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Sooty blackish, lighter beneath, the tail and quills nearly or quite black ; upper tail-coverts white.

a*. Belly cnlirely dusky; webs of feet mostly yellowish ; tail even or very slightly cmarginated ; length about 7.00-7.25, wing 5.70-0.20, tail 3.00-3.25, tarsus 1.30-1.36. Hab. Cosmopolitan (on the high soas).

109. O. oceanicus (Ktiii.). Wilson's Petrel «'. Belly white ; webs of feet apparently wholly clunky ; tail distinctly enuirgiiiated; wing 5.20, tail 2.30 (forked for about .30), tarsus 1,15. Huh. Coast of Chili.

O. gracilis (Klliut). Graceful Petrel.'

Genus CYMODROMA Ripoway. (Page 60, pi. XV^, fig. 3.)

Species.

Common CHAnArxERS. — IToad, neck, brt-ast, and upper parts dusky, varying from brownish black to ])lunibeouH, the fcathei's of back and scapulars sometimes (in fresh plumage) margined terminally with ashy whitish.

> (',viiio.'*<..-...i m.ir<'Ani».'8Al.v.. I'. Z. S. tHSIl, 4,1(1.

• C!tm,i,l>„rin rrii/ihilxinirn Hiimw,. IVoo. U. P. Nut. Mun. iv. 1882, Xt7 ; Water B. N. Am. ii. IHSi, 400.

* Thiilatiiiiruma yrucilii Klliut, Ibia, Out. 18&9, 3U1. Uctnnilei grafilii Cot M, Pr, Au. Nut, S«.i. I'hil. \MA, 86.

72

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

a'. Lower tail-coverts and belly white.

6'. Throat and collar round hind-neck white ; length 8.75-9.00 ; tail emarginatcd for about .75; tarsus 1.65-1.75, middle toe, with claw, 1.25, or more. Hab. Intertropical seas.

C. tropica (Gould). Tropical Petrel."

i'. Throat usually with only concealed white, and witbout white on hind-neck ;

length 7.50-8.00, wing G.00-6.50, tail 3.00-3.30, even; tarsus 1.40-1.60,

middle too, with claw, 1.05-1.10. Hab. Intertropical seas, north,

casually, to coast of Florida.

110. C. grallaria (Vieill.). White-bellied Petrel. a}. Lower tail-coverts and belly dusky.

No while on hind-neck, but throat sometimes white, and feathers of forehead white beneath surface; dusky of belly usually connected with that on chest ; length 8.50-8.75 ; tail usually cmarginuted for about .75 ; wing 6.25-6.75, tarsus 1.60-1.70, middle toe, with claw, 1.05-1.15. Hub. South Pacitic.

C. melanogaster (Gould). Black-bellied Storm Petrel.'

Genus PELAGODROMA Eeichenbach. (Pago 56, pi. XV., fig. 2.)

Species,

Forehead, superciliary stripe, and lower parts, pure white ; top of head, broad stripe behind eye, and upper parts genenilly, slate-color, sometimes inclining to plumbeous; upper tail-coverts light ash-gray; quills and tail-feathers blackish; bill black ; tai'si deep black ; feet black, the webs mostly yellowish ; wing 5.90-0.40, tail 2.90-3.30 (forked for .25-.35), tarsus 1.52-1.70, middle toe, with claw, 1.37-1.40. Hab. Southern seas, accidental otf coast of Massachusetts.

111. P. marina (Lath.). White-faced Petrel.

» ThidnnHidvima tropica GoilLP, P. Z. S. 1S.17, .'ififi,

' Thalamidroma mvlanogattra Gould, Ann. Mag. N. II. xiii. 18t4, 367 ; B. Austr. vii. 1848, pi, 62.

STEQANOPODES.

73

Order STEGANOPODES.— The Totipal- MATE Swimmers. (Pagoi.)

Families.

rt'. Nostrils distinct ; lateral toes nearly equal, and nearly as long as the middle one; whole head feathered.

Bill conical, compressed, pointed, without terminal hook, or unguis ; culmen curved ; edge of upper mandible very concave ; tail short, gradu- ated, the middle pair of feathers, in adults, very narrow and greatly

elongated Phaethontidse. (Page 73.)

a*. Nostrils not perceptible ; lateral toes unequal, and one or the other of them much shorter than the middle one ; head partly naked. 6". Bill conical, the tip of the upper mandible without distinct hook, or unguis, c*. Bill very thick through the base, the tip slightly curved ; tail about half as long as the wing, graduated or cuneate, the feathers narrow- ing toward the rather pointed tips Sulidee. (Pago 74.)

c*. Bill slender, the outlines (culmen especially) nearly straight; head very smal', the neck extremely long and slender ; tail nearly as long as the win^Tf, rounded (fan-shaped when spread), the feathers very broad, tho middle pair transversely corrugated in the adult.

Anhingidae. (Pago 76.) 6'. Upper mandible terminated by a distinct hook, or unguis.

c'. Tarsus moderately lengthened, much longer than the hind too, including its claw. d\ Bill shorter than middle too, compressed ; gular sac small, scarcely distensible; outer too much longer than middle.

Phalacrocoracidee. (Page 77.) rf*. Bill much longer than middle toe, much flattened ; gular pouch very largo, and greatly distensible ; outer toe shorter than middle.

Pelecanidac. (Pago 81.) c*. Tarsus excessively short, hardly equalling the hind too (including its claw) in length.

Wings and tail oxccssively lengthened, the latter deeply forked; middle too much longer than the outer, its claw flattened and fringed on inner edge ; webs very small, occupying less than half the space between tho toes Fregatidee. (Pago 82.)

Family PHAETHONTIDiE.— The Tropic Birds. (Pago 73.)

Genera.

(Characters same as those of tho Family) Phacthon. (Pago 74.)

10

!«

74

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

Genus PHAETHON Linn^us. (Page 73, pi. XVIIL, fig. 1.)

Species.

Common Characters. — Plumage very compact, satiny; color white (sometimes tinged with pink or salmon-color), varied with blackish on uj)per parts ; bill red, orange, or yellow in adults ; tarsi and base of toes yellowish, rest of feet black. Nest a cavity among rocks on sea-shore of oceanic islands. Egg ovate, dilute claret- brown or whitish speckled, sprinkled, spotted, or blotched with deep claret-brown.

a}. Elongated middle tail-feathers with their webs very much bi-oader than the moderately rigid shaft. i'. Bill yellow or orange. Adult : lengthened tail-feathers pinkish or salmon- colored, with black shafts ; no black bars on upper part.s, the black being in form of patches on scapulars, etc. Young : Upper parts irregularly barred with black ; tail-feathers marked with a black spot near the end, the middle pairs not elongated. Length (of adult, including lengthened tail-feathers) 2.5.00-32.00. wing about 11.00, elongated tail-feathers 20.00, or less, culmen 2.25. Egg 2.21 X 1-54. Hab. Intertropical seas, chiefly middle westoim Atlantic, especially in vicinity of the Bermudas and throughout West Indies, north to Florida ; South Pacific (Samoan Islands) ; accidental in western New York.

112. P. flavirostris Brandt. Tellow-billed Tropic Bird. b*. Bill coral-red. Adult: Lengthened middle tail-feathers pure white, with white shafts (except toward base) ; upper parts irregularly barreil with blackish. Young: (Xot seen.) Length (of adidt with perfectly devel- oped middle tail-feathers) 30.00-35.00, wing 11.75-12.50, elongated tail- feathers 22.00, or less, culmen about 2.50. Egg 2.22 X 1-59. Hab. Coasts of tropical America (both sides), north to Lower California and "West Indies ; casual at the Newfoundland Banks.

113. P. eethereus Linn. Red-billed Tropic Bird. a*. Elongated middle taii-feathors with their webs much narrower than the very rigid shaft.

Bill yellowish. Adult: Lengthened middle tail-foathers dull reddish, with black shafts ; wing 13.00, or more, culmen about 2.50. Hub. South Pacific.

P. rubricaudus Bodd. Red-tailed Tropic Bird.>

Family SULID^.— The Gannets. (Pugo73.)

Genera. (Characters same as for the Family) Sula. (Pago 75.)

> Phaeton rubricauda BoDD., Tabl. P. E. 1783, 57 {ex Burr. PI. Eul.979).

SULA.

76

Genus SULA Bbisson. (Pago 7-4, pi. XIX., figs. 1, 2.)

Nest a rude platform of sticks, etc., on rocks, trees, or bushes by sea-shore. Eggs 1-2, elliptical or olongatc-ovato, chalk-white superficially, but beneath the calcareous crust pale greenish blue.

Species.

a}. Whole lower jaw, together with chin and entire throat, naked. (Subgenus Sula.) h^. Young with upper parts variegated.

Young (J) : Head, neck, and lower parts white ; upper parts dark grayish brown, the feathers with white tips ; bill purplish, the upper mandible trrayirth horn-color; feet dusky (in dried skins); wing 14.G0, tail 7.75, culmen 3.G0, depth of bill at base 1.20. Hab. Coast of Peru.

S. variegata (Tsciiudi). Peruvian Booby.* V*. Young with upper parts unicolored.

'■'. Naked skin of face and throat blackish (dark bluish in life).

Adult : White, the remiges, greater wing-coverts, primaiy coverts, and aluloj dark sooty brown ; middle tail-feathers houry whitish, dusky at tips ; rest of tail-feathers dark sooty brown, whitish basally ; feet reddish (drying pale brownish or yellowish). Young : Head, neck, and upper parts plain dark grayish brown, part of the back and rump streaked with white; lower parts white, the flanks streaked with grayish ; length 25.50-29.00, wing lG.15-17.80, tail 7.75-fl.lO, culmen 3.95-4.15. depth of bill at base 1.40-l.fiO. Eggs 2, 2.46 X 1-74. JIab. Intertropical seas, especially the South Pacific and in West Indies, breeding north to the Bahamas ; southern Florida.

114. S. cyanops SiNP. Blne-faoed Booby.

c*. Naked skin of face and throat light colored (yellowish or reddish in

life).

</'. Feet greenish or yellowish. Adult : Head, neck, breast, and upper

parts dark sooty bi-own, the head and neck hoary grayish, in

older (?) specimens, sometimes nearly white anteriorly; lower

parts, from breast backward, white. Young: Nearly uniform

sooty brown, paler beneath. Length 30.00-31.00, wing 14.15-

10.60 (15.72), tail 6.50-9.70 (8.23), culmen 3.J5-3.95 (3.74),

depth of bill at base .95-1.40 (1.24). Egga 2, 2.24 X 1-58. JIab.

Tropical and subtropical coasts of America, north to Georgia

and northwestern Mexico 115. S. sula (Linn.). Booby.

> Di/iponi* variegatu* TBcntJDi, Wolgm. Arohlv. 1843, 300. Sula variegata ScL. i Salv., No«n. Neotr. 1873, 1S4.

76

NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS.

cP. Feet always reddish. Adult: White, the head and neck tinged with buff, the shafts of the tail-feathers yellowish; remiges hoary slate. Young: Above sooty brown, the quills and tail- feathers more hoary ; head, neck, and lower parts light smoky gray. (Plumage extremely variable, scarcely two specimens being alike.) Length about 27.00-30.00, wing 14.00-16.10 (15.04), tail 7.75-10.65 (8.93), culmen 3.05-3.50 (3.26), depth of bill at base .95-1.20 (1.07). Eggs 2, 2.56x1-80. J£ab. Intertropical seas, north to Florida and Lower California.

116. S. piscator (Linn.). Bed-footed Booby. «'. Lower jaw (i.e., malar region), together with sides of chin and throat, densely feathered. (Subgenus Dysporus.)

Legs and feet blackish. Adult: White, the remiges dusky brown, the head and neck above washed with buff. Young: Dusky, everywhere streaked or speckled with white. Downy young : Entirely covered with fluffy yellowish white down. Length 30.00-40.50, wing about 19.50, tail 10.00, culmen 4.00. Eggs 1, 3.00 X 1-92. Hab. Coasts of the North At- lantic, south, in winter, to the Gulf of Mexico and northern Africa; breeding from Nova Scotia and British Islands northward.

117. S. bassana (Linn.). Gannet

Family ANHINGIDiE.— The Anhingas. (Pago 73.)

Genera. (Characters as given for the Family) Anhinga. (Pago 76.)

Genus ANHINGA Brisson. (Page 76, pi. XIX., fig. 3.)

Species.

Adult male in summer : Head, neck, and body glossy greenish black ; other parts deep black, the scapulars and lesser wing-coverts beautifully spotted (longitu- dinally) with light silvery gray ; exposed surface of middle and greater wing- coverts light silvery gray ; tail broadly tipped with pale brown, passing into whitish termimilly ; sides of neck and hinder part of head, ornamented with length- ened, loose-webbed, or hair-like feathers of a dirty whitish or pale grayish lilac color; feathers of hind-neck also elongated and hair-like, forming a sort of mane, but black. Adult male in winter : Similar, but lacking all the elongated feathers of Lead and neck. Ao'dt female in summer : Head, neck, and breast grayish buff, darker on top of head, lighter on breast, where bordered below by a band of chestnut next to the black of the belly ; sides of upper nock with a few whitish loose-webbed feathers; otherwise, colored like the male. Adult female in winter : Similar to sum- mer plumage, but lacking entirely any ornamental, or lengthened, feathers on head or neck. Young in second year {?) : Similar to adult female, but lower parts duller

PHA LA CROCORA X.

77

black, tho chestnut chest-band wanting, and upper parts much duller black, or dusky grayish brown, with the light markings indistinct. Young in first year: Similar to tho preceding, but lower parts dull grayish buft, darker posteriorly ; transverse corrugations on tail-feathers obsolete. Downy young : Entirely uniform buff. Length 32 25-36.00, wing about 14.00, tail 11.00, culmen 3.25. Kest a rudo structure of sticks, etc., in trees or bushes overhanging or near fresh-water rivers, ponds, or lakes. Eggs 2-4, 2.12 X 1-34, ovate or elongate-ovate, pale bluish green, with a more or less continuous white calcareous superficial covering. Hah. Tho whole of tropical and subtropical America, north to South Carolina, southern Illinois (vicinity of