NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 893 



670. — PuFFiNus LEUCOMEi.AS, Temmiiick. 

 WHITE-FRONTED PETREL. 



Re- fereiicc— Cat. Birds Brit. Miis., vol. xxv.. p. 370. 



Geographical Dktrihution. — Seas of Queensland and possibly Nor- 

 thern Territoiy ; also the Moluccas, North Bonieo-, the Philippine 

 Islands, and northwards to the seas of Japan and Corca. 



Ne.st and Egys. — Undescribed. 



Ohxermtionst. — This Petrel first became an Australian species when 

 Mr. Cockerell collected it off the North-east coast. It is a fair-sized 

 bird (about nineteen inches in total length), has a general brown upper 

 surface, and entire under surface wliite. 



671. — PuFFiNus GEisEus, Gmclin. 

 SOMBRE PETREL. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxv., p. 386. 



I'revious Descriptions of Eggs. — Buller : Birds of New Zealand (1S73), 

 also vol. ii., p. 233 (1S88). 



Geographical Distribution. — Two skins in the British Museum are 

 marked Australia and New Zealand respectively. Generally distributed 

 thioughout the seas of both Hemispheres, from Faroe Islands in the 

 North Atlantic and the Kurilc Islands in the North Pacific to the 

 Strait of Magellan and the islands south of New Zealand. 



Xest. — Usually a deep bmTow underground. 



Eggs. — Clutch, one ; roimd oval in shape ; textiux' of shell somewhat 

 coarse ; sm-face minutely pitted and slightly glossy ; coloiu", pvu'e white, 

 but frequently more or less stained with dirt. Dimensions in inches: 

 2-65 X 2-0 ; according to Buller : 3-1 x 1-95. 



Observations. — This Sombre-coloured Petrel resembles the Short- 

 tailed Petrel, or Mutton Bird, but is appreciably larger. Skins in the 

 British Museum arc marked "Australia." According to Sir Walter 

 Buller it is a common species in the New Zealand seas. It is compara- 

 tively plentiful on the Island of Kapiti, where it is found breeding as 

 late as March. On the Island of Karewa and on the Rurima Rocks 

 large numbers annually breed, sharing their burrows with the singular 

 Tuatara lizard, and submitting, season after season, to have their nests 



