NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA.. 117 



the same time the many intricate questions of synonymy involved have 

 necessitated somewhat lengthy discussions. 



In my arrangement of the genera and species I have closely followed that 

 given by Bonaparte in his Conspectus ; except that I place among the Puf- 

 finefe the genus Adamastor, which Bonaparte considers as belonging to the Ful- 

 marea?. The position of this genus is, indeed, a little uncertain, the char- 

 acters of the bill approximating to those of the Fulniarea?. Its bill, how- 

 ever, is almost identical with that of Majaqueus ; and it agrees so closely in 

 other respects that the two genera cannot be placed in different groups ; while 

 the possession by each of twelve, instead of fourteen or sixteen rectrices, 

 plainly indicates that they belong to the Puffinese rather than to the Fulmarea?. 



The Puffinese, as I regard them, are composed of five genera, viz : Maja- 

 queus, Adamastor, Thiellus, Nectris and Puffinus. The two first of these are 

 very different from the three last in many respects ; and warrant a sub- 

 division of the section into two groups. The first, or the " Fulmar-Puffins,^ ' 

 have the bill stouter than ordinary ; the nasal tubes longer, more elevated, 

 more decidedly tubular, vertically truncated at their apices, and the nasal 

 septum thinner ; the wings and tail shorter. The three latter of the above- 

 named genera constitute the "Puffins proper." The bill is very long and 

 slender ; the nasal tubes short, broad, depressed, obliquely truncated ; 

 the nasal septum thick ; the wings and tail very long, the latter much 

 rounded ; and the feet very large. As for the genera themselves, they are 

 hardly worth retaining, except it be for convenience' sake. Thiellus is mere- 

 ly Nectris with a longer and more decidedly cuneiform tail ; while Nectris 

 hardly differs from Puffinus, except in its rather slenderer bill, and entirely 

 fuliginous color. The subdivision of Puffinus into " Ardenna," " Priofhius," 

 and " Puffinus" seems quite unwarrantable. 



I shall consider the species of the five genera in the order in which they are 

 named above, and conclude with a brief synopsis of the section in accord- 

 ance with the results arrived at in the investigation. 



MAJAQUEUS, Reich. 



Gen. char. Bill a little shorter than the head, about equal to the tarsus, 

 stout, compressed, higher than broad at the base, the culmen rising imme- 

 diately from the nostrils, the unguis largl, very convex, much hooked. Com- 

 missure unusually curved from feathers to unguis, the concavity looking up 

 wards ; outline of inferior mandibular rami quite straight to the unguis. 

 Nasal tubes long, (nearly a third the length of the culmen), elevated, laterally 

 obliquely flattened, carinated along the median line, apically vertically trun- 

 cated, with a considerable emarginatiou ; nostrils quite circular ; the septum 

 narrow for this section. Wings very short for this family. Tail also exceed- 

 ingly short, and subtruncated, the graduation of the lateral feathers being 

 slight. Feet stout, the tarsus greatly abbreviated, being much shorter than 

 the middle toe without its claw. Outer toe without claw longer than the 

 middle. Tip of the inner claw reaching the base of the middle one. Of large 

 size, dark color, and exceeding robust form. 



The preceding paragraph characterizes a marked and very peculiar genus 

 of Procellaridse. It is at once distinguished from all its allies by the com- 

 bination of the large size, extreme robustness of bill and feet, as well of the 

 whole body, the unusually short wings and tail, the dark colors, etc' It is 

 most nearly allied to Adamastor, the bills of the types of the two genera 

 being almost identical ; but other characters readily distinguish the two. 



Two species of this genus are recognized by ornithologists. Dr. Schlegel 

 has well shown that it is rather by peculiarities of form and size that conspicil- 

 latus is to be distinguished, if at all, from aequinoctialis. 



1864.] 



