REPORT ON THE ANATOMY OF THE PETRELS. 7 



Section Puffinese — 



Majaqueus, Adamastor, Thiellus, Nectris, Puffinus. 



Section (Estrelateae — 



(Estrelata, Pagodroma, Daption. 



Section Prionese — 



Halobcena, Pseudoprion, Prion. 



Section Fulmarese — 



Fulmarus, TJialassosca, Ossifraga. 



Although the names of these five sections are the same as Bonaparte's, yet the genera 

 included in them are, it will be seen, different, the arrangement in many respects being 

 more natural. 



1867. Eyton in his Osteologia Avium l describes briefly some of the more salient 

 features of the osteology of Ossifraga gigantea, Diomedea exidans and fuliginosa, 

 Puffinus major (and another undetermined species), and Thalassidroma oceanica 

 ( = ? Oceanites). The skeletons of the Ossifraga, Diomedea exidans, and Thalassidroma 

 are figured, with details of some of the bones. 



The same year witnessed the publication of M. Alphonse Milne-Edward's great work 

 on fossil birds. 2 Pages 301-341 of the first volume are devoted to the consideration of 

 the osteology of the living Longipennes, composed of the Gulls (Laridse) and Petrels 

 (Procellariidse). The Petrels are considered to be, as regards their osteological characters, 

 allied most closely to the Gulls, with some resemblances to the Steganopodes. " Par 

 cpiekpies-uns de leur caracteres, les Procellarides se lient aux Totipalmes. Ainsi on ne 

 peut se refuser a reconnaitre une grande ressemblance entre la constitution de la charpente 

 osseuse des Fregates, des Phaetons, c'est-a-dire des Totipalmes grand voiliers et celle des 

 Pe'trels ou des Puffins. Cette analogie a d'ailleurs ete parfaitement saisie par L'herminier, 

 cpii cependant n'avait etudie que la conformation de l'appareil sternal" (loc. cit., pp. 

 302, 303). 



A complete skeleton of Prion vittatus is figured on plate 1. fig. 1, with numerous details 

 of the bones of Puffinus cinereus — skull (pi. xlix. fig. 12), leg-bones (pi. li.), pelvis and 

 humerus (pi. Hi.), sternum and scapular arch (pi. liii.). 



Hydrornis natator (pp. 362-365, pi. lvii. figs 18-22), from the Miocene deposits 

 of Langy, is perhaps allied to the Shearwaters (Puffinus), but the remains found (a 

 tarso-metatarsus, and a femur of doubtful ownership) do not suffice to decide the point 

 certainly. 



Professor Huxley 3 places the Petrels with the Gulls, Divers, and Auks in the 



i London, 1867, pp. 221-225. 



2 Recherches anatomiques et paleontologiques pour servir a l'histoire des oiseaux fossiles de la France, Paris, 

 1867-1868. 



3 On the Classification of Birds, Proc. Zool, Soc, 1867, pp. 415-472. 



