PROCELLARIDJ^—OCEANITIN.E: PETRELS. 1045 



lengths. Tarsal envelop tending to fuse in a booted podotheca (especially in Oceanites and 

 Pealeu ; less so in Garrodia and Pelagodroma ; variable in Fregetta). Tibiae bare an inch or 

 so. Hallux minute. Claws broad, flat, blunt (least so in Oceanites). This is in several re- 

 spects the most remarkable subfamily of Procellariidce, by some authors ranked as a family. 

 In the small size and general outward appearance these Stormy Petrels resemble the foregoing 

 Procellariince ; but a glance at the feet suffices to distinguish them; in characters of the skull 

 and sternal bones they agree with Procellariince, except that the sternal keel is fenestrate. 

 Tlie OceanitincB consist of the five genera mentioned iu this paragraph, three of them repre- 

 sented in North America. Exti'alimital forms are Oceanites gracilis, Garrodia nereis, Pealea 

 lineata, and several species of Fregetta. 



Analysis of Genera. 



Tarsus moderately longer than middle toe and claw ; basal phalanx of middle toe shorter than rest of toe and claw. 



Tarsus booted ; webs yellow. Plumage fuliginous, with white upper tail-coverts Ocemiites 



Tarsus somewhat scutellate ; webs yellow. Plumage largely white Pelagodroma 



Tarsus much longer than middle toe and claw ; basal phalanx of middle toe flattened, not shorter than rest of toe 

 and claw. 

 Tarsus somewhat scutellate ; webs black. Plumage largely white Fregetta 



OCEANI'TES. (Gr. 'Q/ceaviT?;?, Okeanites, sou of the sea.) WiLSOXiAN Stormy Pktrel.s. 

 Bill short, weak, compressed, not ^ as long as head or middle toe and claw, about -f the tar- 

 sus ; sides a little concave; hook small; nasal tubes perfectly horizontal. Wings very long, 

 2d jn'imary much the longest; 1st and 3d about equal; 4th much shorter. Tail moderate, 

 about square (as in Procellaria) ; amj)le, with featliers broad to their very tips. Tibia denuded 

 1.00 or more. Tarsi presenting the character, remarkable if not unique among water birds, 

 of being covered iu front and on sides by a continuous plate or "boot," as in a Thrush, the 

 scutella being fused. Toes, though long, only about | the greatly lengthened tarsi ; basal 

 pliahinx of middle toe shorter than rest of toe and claw ; liind toe so minute as to be liable to 

 be overlooked. Claws broad, flat, obtuse. Two species of this notable genus: 0. gracilis ui 

 the west coast of St)Uth America, and the following : 



O. ocean'icus. (Lat. oeeanicus, oceanic.) Wilson's Stormy Petrel. Coloration much 

 as iu P. 2)elagica or 0- leucorrhoa. Adult : Dark sooty-brown, pale gray on wing-coverts, 

 black on wings and tail ; upper tail-coverts, and frequently crissum, sides of rump, and base of 

 tail, white. Bill and feet black, but webs with a large yellow spot; iris brown. Length 7.00 ; 

 extent about 16.00; wing about 6.00; tail 8 00, nearly even but slightly emarginate; tibia 

 bare 1 .00 ; tarsus 1.30; middle toe and claw 1.10 ; bill 0.50. One of the commonest and best 

 known Stormy Petrels, widely dispersed over the waters of the globe ; on the Atlantic N. to 

 Lal)rador and Great Britain ; Antarctic and Indian Oceans; Australia; New Zealand ; breeds 

 in southern seas ; common in summer on our Atlantic coast. Nest in burrows or crevices ; egg 

 single, white. 



FRKGEIT'TA. (Ital. fregata, a frigate.) Stilt Stormy Petrels. Frigate Stormy 

 Petrels. Kesembling Oceanites in great length of leg, flat obtuse claws, and other char- 

 acters. Bill stout, about as high as broad at base, ^ as long as head, more than half as long 

 as middle toe and claw, with long high nasal tube. Wings moderately long, folding just be- 

 yond tail; 2d primary longest; 3d nearly equal; 1st between 3d and 4th. Tail ample, square 

 (in our species; forked in others), with broad feathers, square-tijiped. Tibiae bare 1.00 or 

 more; tarsus nearly half as long again as middle toe, its scutella fused in a boot, or tending to 

 become so. Tfies short, with small narrow webs ; basal phalanx of middle toe flattened, not 

 shorter tlian rest of toe and claw ; claws extremely flat, broad, rounded, somewhat like a Grebe'.s. 

 CVdors blackish and white. Several species of Southern seas, one straggling to our country. 

 {('i/uiodroma KiDdw. 1884, of A. 0. U. 1H86-0.1, but Frrgcttii Bp. 18.").") is not voided by /•';>•- 

 giKii I5R1SS. 1760. See CoiJES. Auk. July. 1807. p. 31.'): A. (). U. Suppl. List. Ai.k. Jau. 

 !-:•!•. p. 102. 



