LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN PETRELS AND PELICANS. 155 



recognized in flight by its less deeply forked tail and by the excess 

 of white in the lateral, under tail coverts and flanks. 



Behavior'. — Lieutenant Alexander (1898), writing of its habits 

 in the Cape Verde Islands, observes : 



When the night shadows began to brood vaguely over this lone waste of an 

 island the petrels cunie abroad and tilled the air with their weird cries. They 

 mustered strongly, flitting to and fro over the low-lying ground in hundreds. 

 Among the number the most noticeable was Piifflnus assimilis, as it glided 

 like some large soft-winged bat over the small sandhills, and even sometimes 

 brushing past our camp tire, forever uttering its weird cry " karkl-karrou, 

 karki-karrou, karki-kai-rou," while amid these a similar but softer one would 

 often strike fitfully upon the ear, coming from Oceanodrona eryptoleucura, 

 as it flitted over the island, crying to its white-breasted relative " I'm a nigger, 

 I'm a nigger, I'm a nigger." And the white-breasted petrel {Pelagodroma 

 marina) replied by uttering grating notes like those of a pair of rusty springs 

 set In motion. 



As the night wore on the cries of these petrels died away, only to recommence, 

 however, with redoubled energy just as dawn arrived, and then, as soon as the 

 dusky light waxed clear, these voices ceased as suddenly as they had com- 

 menced, indicating that their owners had crept noiselessly into their dark 

 retreats, there to remain till the heat had once more abated. 



There are only three American records for this species, so far as 

 I know, all of which were purely accidental inland records. Two 

 were taken by Mr. William Palmer, at Washington, District of Co- 

 lumbia, on August 28, 1893, and one by Mr. N. H. Gano, at Martins- 

 ville, Indiana, on June 15, 1902. 



DISTRIBUTION. 



Breeding range. — Eastern portions of the Xorth Atlantic Ocean. 

 In the Maderia Islands (Porto Santo, Funchal, and the Desertas), 

 Salvages, Azores (Praya Island), and Cape Verde Islands (Rombos 

 Islands). On certain islands in the central Pacific Ocean. In the 

 Galapagos Islands (Cowley Island) and the Hawaiian Islands 

 (Kauai Island). 



Range. — Northward from its Atlantic breeding range to Great 

 Britain and Denmark; and southward to Saint Helena Island in 

 the South Atlantic Ocean. In the Pacific Ocean north to Cocos 

 Island off the west coast of Mexico, though it has been suggested 

 that this and the Hawaiian birds are subspecifically distinct from 

 each other and from the Atlantic birds. 



Casual records. — Accidental in Indiana (Martinsville, June 15, 

 1902) and District of Columbia (Washington, August 28, 1893). 



Egg dates. — Maderia Islands: Eleven records, November 13 to 

 August 30 ; six records, x\pril 29 to July 2. Galapagos Islands : One 

 record, August 13. 



