3 *4 a u &
s.
DUSKY A .
Pt. XCV. Fig . 3,
D e s c r i p t io n .
P lace and
M anners.
AIca tetracula, Pallas, Spic. v. p. 25. t. 4. and 5.
Dniky Auk, Ara. Zeol. N° 43;.
I Z E o f the la ft: length eleven inches. The bill fmaller it®
proportion, but the upper mandible bent at the points the
colour yellow brown j the ridge white : the hides are white, fur-
rounded with a circle of black : the forehead’ is covered with
downy feathers, which are pretty full, and reflexed half one way,,
half the other: behind the eyes a ftripe of white : the head and;
neck are black, marked with a few obfcure ferruginous fpots on
the nape: the upper parts of the body black j beneath cinereous,,
growing whitilh near the vent :■ the wings reach to the bale
o f the tail, which is compofed of fourteen feathers, all of which,,
except the two middle ones, are ferruginous at the ends: legs-
livid : webs black.
This fpecies is met with in the leas between Jizjw« and Kamt-
Jchatka, and lometimes very far from land ; in this cafe feen li(j-
gle, but on land are found in flocks*. Make the nefts in burrows
among the rocks. Are wonderfully affive in the water,, but
on the contrary no bird is more clumfy and ftupid on Ihore; with
the greateft difficulty get upright on their legs, and then cannot
Hand, except the rump be propped up on a Hone or other elevation
: will now and then fly on board Ihips o f evenings, when-
they may be taken by the hand; The fl'elh is very little valued j
* This may poffibly be the kind of Auk mentioned by Ellis, which was feen by*
myriads. It had a compreiled bill, and.large in ,proportion to the bird: plumage,-
a dark brown, or rather black: bread: whitilh : and towards the.abdomen of a..:
reddilh brown colour.*—Ellis, Narr.yol. ii. p. 252,
not
nor can the down be feparated from the Ikin, fo as to become ufe-
ful i but the eggs are thought very good.
AIca pfittacula, Pall. Spic. V. p. 13. pi. 2. 5 -
Stariki, Htß. Kamtfch. p. 155*
Perroquet Auk, A rft. Zool. N° 433.
PTp H I S is a trifle bigger than the L ittle Auk9 but not unlike it in 4- fhape. The bill is much compreffed on the fides, and in
lhape convex both above and beneath: the noftrils are pervious,
placed in the middle of i t ; parallel to the edge, and at a little
diltance from it, above thefe, is a furrow, reaching from the bafe
to the middle • the colour of the bill a deep red • the vifage adjoining
the bill is much, prolonged, whence the eyes, which are
finall, appear far back" in the head : in the middle of the upper
eyelid is a white fpot 5 and from the hinder part of the eye fprings
a (lender tuft of white feathers, which hang loofely on each fide
of the neck : the head, neck, and upper parts, are black, inclining
to hoary on the fore part of the neck : the under parts from the
breaft white; thighs dulky ; wings and tail even,, the laft very
lhort: legs dirty yellow : webs brown.
Found at Kamtfchatka, with the laft fpecies: alfo in the ides
towards Japan, and the weftern Ihores of America; molt frequent
in the la ft; fometimes feen in flocks, but feldom far from land,
except driven by ftorms. Of nights harbour in the crevices of
rocks. Lay an egg almoft the fize of a Hen’ s, of a dirty
white or yellowifh colour, fpotted with brown ; this they do about
the middle of June, upon the bare rock or fand, for they make no
neit. Are, like moft of the tribe, ftupid birds, as may be evinced
9*
PERROQUET A .
Pl . XCV. F ig . 2.
D escription*'
P lace and?
M anners..