90 M. Buonaparte on Procellaria oceanica, 



named specimen of P. Wilsoniiy and partly on BufFou's plate of 

 P. oceanica^ as in his specific phrase he describes the wings of the 

 latter and the tarsi of the former. 



Description, 



General colour brownish-black, somewhat tinged with cinere- 

 ous ; primaries and tail darker ; secondaries and wing-coverts not 

 tipped with whitish ; belly and vent each side, flank, some of the 

 under wing-coverts and upper tail-coverts, totally^ white ; bill 

 three-quarters of an inch long, and with the feet, black. Total 

 length, eight inches and a half. 



Habitat. The Pacific Ocean and the South Seas ; common 

 near the Cape of Good Hope. 



Comparative Obs. In comparing this species to the three 

 others, it will be seeii that it is the largest and the more varied 

 with white of the sub-genus, and that is can be confounded only 

 with P. Wilsonii^ to which it bears a strong resemblance in shape 

 and colour, both having the tarsi greatly elongated, the tube of 

 the nostrils equally recurved, the upper tail-coverts entirely w hite, 

 &c. But in addition to its much larger size, proportionally longer 

 bill and tarsi, and lighter colour,* this new species may at first 

 sight be distinguished from it by its wings extending so much 

 beyond the tail, and by the want of the yellow spot on the in- 

 terdigital membrane, which is found in P. Wilsonii only. 



• In colour it agrees with P. Leachii, which is also next in stature ; but the 

 much shorter tarsi, stouter bill, forked tail, and brown shafts of the tail- 

 coverts of the latter will alweys prevent their being confounded together. I 

 also identified Temminck's P. Leachii with mine a few days ago. Tlie species* 

 is now common in collections. 



