PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 169 



67. Stercorarius crepidatus (Banks) Viell. 



81428 (3830) ? . Port Providence, Plover Bay, Siberia, Sept. 12, 1880. 



(3818) 2 sternums. " " " " " " " 



81701 (3818) head iu alcohol. " " " " " " 



Common. Two examples were shot near tlie head of the spit. 



68. DiOlMEDEA NIGRIPES Alld. 



(3009) ad. 9 . Pacific Ocean, Lat. 36° 32' N., Long. 126° 13' W., May 15, 1880. 



The "Yukon" sailed from San Francisco May 13, proceeding to the 

 westward several hundred miles and then laying her course for Sitka. 

 From the time we leit the bar until we neared north latitude 52 degrees 

 on this voyage D. nigripes was with us every day, soaring around us 

 w^hen we had a good breeze and leisurely following in our wake or float- 

 ing astern when the wind was light or wanting. On the above date 

 (May 15) we caught three of these birds with a fish-hook baited with 

 pork. Soon after taking them on deck one of them became seasick, and 

 ejected a piece of pumice. One of the calls of this albatross is similar 

 to the peeping sound of very young chickens. It makes a peculiar sound, 

 too, by striking its jaws together when approached on deck, and can in- 

 flict a painful wound with its sharp hook. These gouies pick up what- 

 ever floating food is cast from the vessel, and it is surprising to see how 

 soon after anything is cast overboard a flock of the birds will approach, 

 although none may be in sight at the time. In alighting after rapid 

 flight they back air with their wings, drop their legs and thrust their 

 feet forward to back water, making a light splashing. As soon as a 

 small flock has gathered the gonies begin to fight and scream over their 

 floating food, watching one another to see when anything turns up, the 

 quickest and strongest getting the most. One of the most laughable 

 things we saw was the chase of an overloaded Fraterctda by one of these 

 gonies ; the Fraterctda skimmed along close to the surface of the water 

 and sometimes apparently floundering through it, as if its bodj" were 

 too heavy for its wings ; the gony followed in hot haste but was soon 

 foiled, astonished, and apparently much disgusted by the unexpected 

 diving of the little struggler. 



As we proceeded northward we observed a larger proportion of old 

 birds with the upper and under tail coverts and part of the belly white. 

 We saw no individuals of D. nigripes as far north as Sitka on the north- 

 ward voyage. On our homeward way late in October, we saw the spe- 

 cies frequently when about 700 miles south of Unalashka; a few were re- 

 ported within 300 miles south of this island. 



Measurements of number 3009 from the fresh specimen: Length, 

 28.50; extent, 79.50; wing, 19.50; tail, 6; bill, 3.75; head, 2.87; tarsus, 

 3.50; middle toe, 4; middle toe claw, .02; iris umber; tarsus, foot, base 

 and tip of bill black ; remainder of bill plumbeous. 



A second living one, caught with the last, had the bill 4. 



