32 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



KEY TO SPECIES OF DIOMEDEIDAE 



1. Size large, decidedly more than a meter long, body white above and below. 



Wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans, p. 33 



2. Size smaller, less than a meter long 3 



3. Rump white Gray-headed albatross, Diomedea chrysostoma, p. 32 



Rump dark, barred narrowly with white. 



Galapagos albatross, Diomemea irrorata, p. 34 



DIOMEDEA CHRYSOSTOMA Forster: Gray-headed Albatross; Albatros 



Cabecigris 



Diomedea chrysostoma J. R. Forster, Mem. Math. Phys. Paris, vol. 10, 1785, 

 p. 571, pi. 14. (South Georgia; designated by Murphy, Oceanic Birds of 

 South America, vol. 1, 1936, p. 516.) 



An albatross with head and neck light gray ; sides of the bill black. 



Description, — Length 700 to 800 mm. Head and neck light gray ; 

 upper back dark gray ; wings black, with a grayish wash ; a dull 

 black mark around eye; under surface, including under side of 

 wings, white. 



Iris brown; bill black on the sides, with a bright yellow stripe 

 down the culmen, that is darker on the hook at the tip ; a yellow line 

 on the side of the mandibular rami ; tarsi and toes bluish gray ; claws 

 whitish. (From Murphy, Oceanic Birds S. Amer., vol. 1, 1936, pp. 

 514-515.) 



Measurements (from Murphy, cit. supra, p. 515). — Males (14 

 specimens), wing 480-555 (510), tail 175-205 (195), exposed culmen 

 106-122 (114.3), tarsus 79-91 (85.6) mm. 



Females (5 specimens), wing 473-523 (504.3), tail 175-199 

 (189.3), exposed culmen 108-119 (114.7), tarsus 79-89 (84.6) mm. 



Accidental. One report on the Pacific coast. 



Salvin (Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. 25, 1896, p. 451) records an 

 adult specimen secured by Thomas Bridges on the "Coast of 

 Panama." Salvin and Godman (Biol. Centr.-Amer., vol. 3, 1904, p. 

 438) list it as "said to have been procured in the Bay of Panama," 

 and Godman (Mon. Petrels, 1910, p. 355) cites the same bird as 

 "obtained by Mr. T. Bridges, near Panama." Griscom (Bull. Mus. 

 Comp. Zool., vol. 78, 1935, p. 291) undoubtedly refers to these 

 sources when he lists the species as "off coast of Chiriqui (once)." 

 The specimen has disappeared. It is not included in a manuscript 

 list of the albatrosses in the British Museum (Natural History) 

 prepared in 1951, nor could I find it in the collections in July 1954. 

 A further search in the museum catalogs in September 1964, did not 

 locate this bird. Thomas Bridges came to Panama in 1855, where 



