Uria Grylle, Bonap. Syn. p. 423.
Uria Grylle, Black Guillemot, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 523.
Black Guillemot, Uria Grylle, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 148; v. v. p. 627.
483. 4. Uria Townsendii, Aud. Slender-billed Guillemot.
Plate CCCCXXX. Male and Female.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, slender, much compressed, acute, black; feet yellow, claws black; plumage very soft, close, blended, as in the other species; wings small, very narrow, convex, falcate; first quill longest; secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded; tail extremely short, narrow, rounded, of twelve weak, rounded feathers. Upper parts brownish-black, the feathers of the back terminally margined with light grey; lower parts, cheeks, a transverse band on the nape, both eyelids, and a longitudinal band on each side, formed by some of the scapulars, white, some dusky streaks on the hind part of the sides, and the lower wing-coverts greyish-brown, some of them whitish. Young in autumn with the upper parts brownish-black, the feathers terminally margined with brown; the occipital band merely indicated by some lighter feathers, and the scapular band brownish or chestnut-red; lower parts of a curious mottled appearance, the feathers being brownish-grey at the end, but in the rest of their extent white, that colour appearing more or less on all the parts, and shewing a patch on the hind part of the sides.
Adult, 10; wing 52/12. Young, in autumn, 93/4; wing 51/12.
Abundant on the north-west coast of America, not far from the Columbia River.
Slender-billed Guillemot, Uria Townsendii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 251.
FAMILY XLV. COLYMBINÆ. DIVERS AND GREBES.
Bill of the length of the head, straight, rather stout, much compressed, pointed; upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate, almost straight, or towards the end convex; nasal groove rather long, feathered at the base. Nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Feet stout, short, placed extremely far behind; tarsus extremely compressed; toes four, the first very small, and lobed; the anterior united by webs, which in some are lobed. Plumage dense, short, glossy, generally silky beneath. Wings small, very narrow, acute. Tail very short, sometimes extremely small, and forming a slight tuft. Tongue slender, trigonal, tapering; œsophagus very wide in its whole length, or narrowed in the anterior part with the proventriculus wide; stomach generally large, muscular, with a dense rugous epithelium; intestine rather long and wide; as are the cœca; cloaca globular.