124 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



brown, passing into greyish on the throat. Bill entirely brownish black. Feet 

 brownish black, the internal face of the tarsnsand the interdigital membranes 

 dusky yellowish. Length, 18 inches ; wing, from the carpus, about 12. Bill 

 along culmen, 172 to 2-00; along commissure, 2-50; tarsus 2-20 to 2-30; 

 middle toe about 2*50. 



This species is too well known to require farther characterization. 



Discussion of synonymy. The name li fuliginosus^ has unfortunately been 

 almost as badly bandied about as has cinereus, Gm. Thus the full ginosus, 

 Sin., Lath., apparently (and it is so looked upon by most ornithologists,) be- 

 longs to a species of the genus Thalassidroma, Vig., from Otaheite, probably 

 not very widely differing from the Cymochorea melanin, mihi, ex Bp. Fuligi- 

 nosa, Banks, (tab. 19.) kuhl, (sp. 12, pi, x. fig. 6,) is a species subsequently 

 called atlantica by Gould, now the Pterodroma atlantica, Bp. Exactly what is 

 the fuliginosa, Forster, (Descr. p. 23, sp. IS), is a little doubtful. His editor, 

 Lichtenstein, says that it is the same asfiliginosa, Kuhl, sp. 12; and this 

 opinion is also maintained by Bonaparte, which would make it the Pterodroma 

 atlantica. But then, on the contrary, Dr Kuhl asserts positively that his 

 species 12 is " omnino diversa a Nectri fuliginosa, Forst." For my own part, 

 after carefully studying Forster's description, I am inclined to coincide with 

 Dr. Kuhl, and to hold that Forster's fuliginosa is not the Pterodroma atlantica, 

 but rather a pacific species of the genus Nectris. 



Species 27 of Kuhl's monograph, also called fuliginosa (after Banks, tab. 23) , 

 is too indefinite for me to make anything of it. 



No other synonyms of this species seem to require notice. The confounding 

 of this species with carneipes, Gould, by Dr. Schlegel, will be noticed uuder 

 the head of the latter. 



HiECTEis amaurosoma, Coues, noy. sp. 



iJiagnosls.Nrctris media quoad staturam interfuliginosam vel carmepedem 

 et tenuirostrem vel brevicaudam; corpore bmnneo-fuliginoso, subtus valde di- 

 lutiore, in guhx fusco-cinerascente ; tectricibus alarum inferioribus albiuis fere 

 meris ; rostro ex toto fusco ; pedibus interne palamisque carneis, externe 

 brunneo-albis. Long, alse 11-00 poll. Ang. Rostri a fronte ad apicem l-<0. 

 Tarsi 2-00. Digiti medii cum ungue 2-40. Caudae, 4-25. 



Habitat Mare Pacif., circum capit. Sanct. Lucas, Calif. 



Description. Form. Bill about as long as the head, a little shorter than 

 the tarsus, about two-thirds the middle toe and claw ; rather slender, attenu- 

 ated, compressed, except at base', where it is as wide as high ; the unguis 

 large, and much hooked; commissure much curved from base to unguis; 

 outline of rami of inferior mandible quite straight. Nasal tubes rather more 

 than a fourth the length of the culmen, broad, but much depressed, with an 

 indistinct median longitudinal groove ; terminally exceedingly obliquely trun- 

 cated ; the nostrils oval. The feathers of the front form a very obtuse angle 

 on the culmen, but instead of immediately retreating on either side, they ex- 

 tend forwards again on the sides of the upper mandible, nearly as far as on the 

 culmen. Wings of ordinary length and shape. Tail rather long, contained 

 only 2i times in the wing from the carpus ; much rounded, as usual in the 

 genus." Feet moderately stout ; tarsus just equal to the middle toe without 

 its claw; outer toe without its claw longer than the middle; inner toe un- 

 usually abbreviated, the tip of its claw falling J of an inch short of the base 

 of the middle claw. 



Co/or. The bill is wholly deep brownish black ; somewhat lighter on the 

 sides of the lower mandible ; the extremity of both ungues horn colored. The 

 inner aspect of the tarsus, the middle and inner toes, the whole of the webs, 

 and the bases of the claws, clear light yellowish flesh color ; the outer aspect 

 of the tarsus, the outer toe, and tips of the claws, the same color, but much 

 tinged with brown. The shade of the upper parts is a pure deep chocolate 



[April, 



