8 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 221 



of No. 4498; on the other hand, Baird himself has written "Type of sp. & 

 fig. pi. 100" on the label of No. 9930 and confirmed this by writing "9930 2 . 

 Chihuahua" on pi. 100 of the National Museum's copy of the 1860 edition. 

 In short, if there is to be a lectotype at all, it must be No. 9930, selected 

 by Baird as the only adult of the series and the only specimen collected by 

 its namesake. Grinnell's argument that "the measurements given in the 

 description above on the same page . . . are tliose given in the table for 

 this specimen" is no proof that the description was based upon the same 

 specimen or even upon any single specimen; see Lawrence {torn, cit., p. 894), 

 who gives a composite description of Podiceps occidentalis, followed by 

 "the dimensions of the largest one, as they were taken from the specimen 

 while fresh." 



Order PROCELLARIIFORMES: Albatrosses, Shear- 

 waters, Petrels 



Family DIOMEDEIDAE: Albatrosses 



Genus DIOMEDEA Linnaeus 

 D[iomedea]. leptorhyncha Coues 



Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 18: 178 (not earlier than May 29), 

 1866. 



=Diom.edea leptorhyncha Coues 



346315. No data. 



This is part of a recent skull without mandible, and with the maxilla longi- 

 tudinally bisected; at some time it has been broken into four parts, which 

 have been glued together. 



The species was provisionally erected on "a skull of an Albatross, wanting 

 the lower jaw." Many years ago No. 346315 was set aside by Richmond as 

 the "probable type," but it was not entered into the register of the Division 

 of Birds until early in 1942. Comparison of the specimen with Coues's 

 diagnosis indicates that it may properly be considered the holotype. 



The skull was held by Coues in general features to stand nearest Diomedea 

 albatrus Pallas. It seems without question to belong to a form of the genus 

 Diomedea, but has never been found to match any specimen of the known 

 recent species. 



There is a bare chance that this is the example of D\iomedea^. culminata? 

 Gould recorded by James G. Cooper in these words: "I believe a skull of 

 one of these has been found on the beach near this city [San Francisco] but 

 cannot verify the fact" (Proc. California Acad. Sci. 4: 12, 1868). 



Another possible clew to the skull's history may be contributed by the 

 minutes of the stated meeting of the Academy of Natural Sciences of May 

 21, 1844, in which is reported the donation of "the head and beak of a 

 Procellaria. From Mr. Samuel Grant, Jr., through Dr. Carson" (Proc. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 2: 64, 1844). 



