174 BULLETIN 121, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Hooper, of Brooklyn, N. Y. They were observed about the vessel two days, 

 after which none were met with. 



There has been considerable doubt expressed as to the validity of 

 this species. Godman (1907), who deals with the species under the 

 name Cym^odroma grallaria^ admits that it is closely related to G. 

 Tnelano g aster ^ and says: 



Dr. Bowdler Sharpe has suggested that C. grallaria might be the young of 

 C. melanogaster, before the black appears on the center of the breast and 

 abdomen. Salvin, however, did not Indorse this view. 



According to flie evidence at present before me, I am inclined to agree with 

 Salvin in separating the two species, for C. grallaria never shows any black on 

 the abdomen, and all the white-banded specimens in the British Museum have 

 the appearance of being adult birds. It seems, therefore, that the white edges 

 to the dorsal feathers are a sign of adult plumage in C. grallaria, and of 

 juvenile plumage in C. melanogaster. 



Sufficient evidence to support either tlieory is lacking and the ques- 

 tion can not be definitely settled until large series of specimens have 

 been collected to show all the pliunage changes from the downy stage 

 to the fully adult plumage. 



Nesting. — The following notes, sent to me bj' Mr. Rollo H. Beck, 

 contain all that we know about the nesting habits of this rare species : 



Though the fishermen of Juan Fernandez told me they had never found the 

 nest of this bird I found the nests quite close to the beach on Santa Clara 

 Island, which lies about 10 miles from the west end of Masatierra Island. " The 

 nests were usually in rock piles under a good-sized rock. The few nests ex- 

 amined were lined with straws or a few twigs from bushes. One nest with 

 its downy occupant was plainly visible witliout moving the overshadowing rock. 

 On January 19, 1914, the date of my visit, I found more nests with yojng birds 

 than with eggs. As with otlier species of petrels the downy young of this 

 species is left alone during the day. 



Eggs. — The three eggs taken by Mr. Beck are probabl}^ the only 

 eggs in existence. They vary in shape from oval to broad elliptical 

 ovate. The shell is smooth, but without luster and the color is dull 

 white, more or less discolored. One has a wreath of small purplish 

 brown dots near the larger end and in one these dots form a cap over 

 the whole of that end; the other has a larger cap of such dots with 

 many minute dots scattered over the egg. The three eggs measure 

 34.5 by 24, 34 by 25, and 32.5 by 25 millimeters. 



Plumages. — The downy young are apparently thickly covered with 

 long, soft clowai of a " Quaker drab " color. There are several speci- 

 mens in the Brewster-Sanford collection, collected b}'^ Mr. Beck, on 

 Goat Island, Chile, on January 19, 1914, These are of different ages, 

 but all still largely downy, though some are nearly fully grown. 

 The new plumage, which shows under the down, is much like the 

 adult plumage, except that the scapulars and the wing-coverts, par- 

 ticularly the latter, are broadly edged with white. 



