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NESTS AND EGGS Oh AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



FAMILY— PUFFINID^ : PETRELS, &c. 



Sub-family — Puffinin^. 



666. — PuFFiNUs CHLOROEHYNCHUs, Lesson. (638) 



p. sphenurus, Gould. 



WEDGE-TAILED PETREL. 



l-igurc. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 5S. 



Reference.- — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxv., p. 372. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (1848) , 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 467 {1865) ; Legge : Birds of Ceylon, 

 p. 1055 (1880); Crowfoot (Metcalfe): Ibis, p. 268 (1S85); 

 Buller : Birds of New Zealand, vol. li., p. 235 (1888) ; North : 

 Austn. Mus. Cat., app. (1889) ; Campbell : Proc. Roy. Soc, 

 Victoria, vol. iii., new ser., p. 6 (1890). 



Geugruphical Distrihutiun. — Seas of Queensland, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South and West Australia, and Tasmania; also New Zealand 

 and northwards to the Society Islands, Central Pacific. 



Nest. — A rabbit-like burrow, generally extending in an oblique 

 direction for two or three feet, rarely more than five feet. Sometimes 

 a hole or fissure in a rock is chosen, while occasionally the egg is de- 

 posited under a bush. 



Eyys. — Clutch, one; tiiie oval in form, or tapering towards one 

 end ; texture of shell somewhat coarse ; surface minutely pitted and 

 slightly glossy; colour, pure white. Dimensions in inches of two 

 examples from Norfolk Island: (1) 2-6 x 1-7, (2) 2-5 x 176; selected 

 examples from Abrolhos Islands (West coast) : (1) 2-69 x 1-6, 

 (2) 2'47 X 1-56, (3) 2-43 x 1-68, (4) 2-4 x 1-6, (5) 2-34 x 1-56. 



Obnervation.i. — This dusky Petrel, or Puffin, resembles the familiar 

 Mutton Bird (P. feiiuirustria), of Bass Strait and elsewhere, but has a 

 more wedge-shaped tail (hence its name) and lighter (yellowish-flesh) 

 coloured feet. The colour of the Petrel by day is a dark, chocolate-brown, 

 a little lighter on the under siu-face ; bill and feet, yellowish flesh-colovu- ; 

 total length about 16 inches. 



In addition to frequenting Australian seas, the Wedge-tailed Petrel 

 also ranges over the Indian Ocean on one side and the Pacific on the 

 other. This Petrel is known to breed on Norfolk Island (whence 

 I received eggs from Mr. F. M. Nobbs, taken on dates 7th December, 

 1886, and 1st January, 1887, respectively). Lord Howe, and Seal Rocks, 

 off the New South Wales coast ; and on certain islands on the western 

 coast of Australia. 



