DIOAIEDEID.E — THE ALBATROSSES — PHCEBETKIA. 



359 



Columbia River, has been ascertained by Professor Baird to belong, not to that, but 

 to the present species. It is exceedingly problematical whether this bird is really 

 entitled to a place in the avifauna of North America. In regard to its history and 

 distribution generally I have no information. 



Dr. Cooper expresses his conviction that this is a rare visitant on the Pacific coast 

 north of the equator, though said to have been obtained in 1836 off the mouth of 

 the Columbia River by IVIr. Townsend. Dr. Cooper has, however, seen a skull 

 answering to the description of that of this species in the collection of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences in San Francisco. It was taken by Dr. W. 0. Ayres from a dead 

 specimen found on the outer beach near the Golden Gate, 



Genus PHCEBETRIA, Reichenbach. 



Phcebctria, Reiciiend. Syst. Ay. 1S52, p. v (type, Diomcdcafuligliiosa, Gmel. ). 



Char. Similar to Thalassogeron, but bill much more compressed, with sharper culmeii, and a 

 deep longitudinal sulcus or groove along the side of the lower mandible ; base of the culmen forming 

 a deep angle into the feathering of the forehead, and feathers of the malar region extending forward 

 as an acute angle on the lateral base of the mandible ; tail lengthened, cuneate. 



Only one species of this genus is known, this (P. fuliginosa) ranging over the greater part of the 

 Pacific and Southern oceans. 



Phoebetria fuliginosa. 



THE SOOTY ALBATROSS. 



Diomedca fuliginosa, Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 568. — Temm. PI. Col. 469. — Lawii. in Baird's B. 



N. Am. 1858, 823. — Baird, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 633. — Coues, Key, 1872, 326 ; Check 



List, 1873, no. 580. 

 Diomedca (P/iccbctria) fuliginosa, Bonap. Consp. II. 1855, 186. 

 Pluehdria fuliginosa, CouES, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1866, 186 ; 2d Check List, 1882, no. 812. — 



Rii)GW\ Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, 703. 

 Biomcdea palpebrata, FousT. "ic. iiu'd. no. 102." 

 Diomedca fusca, AuD. Orn. Biog. V. 1839, 116 ; B. Am. VII. 1844, 200, pi. 444. 



A dult. 



