ANSERES. 91 



to leave their holes, on ]']a.st Wallaby Island^ a month later. Its egg 

 is described as being pure white, and measuring 1"5 inch in length by 

 1"15 in breadth." — Buller. 



147. Thalassidroma melanogaster. Gould. 



Black-bellied Stoem-Peteel. 

 Head, neck, back, wings, and tail, dark-brown ; below, white, with a longitudinal 

 brownish-black band. 



L., 7-5 ; W., 6 5 ; B., -75 ; T., 1-75. 



Ec/g. — White ; length, I'S ; breadth, 1-25. (Lajard.) 



Hab. — Both Islands; Indian Ocean. 



" Ditring stormy weather it often follows in the wake of the 

 labouring vessel, and apparently for days together. I observed this 

 myself, in 1856, during a severe gale, experienced off the Chatham 

 Islands, which lasted nearly a fortnight. These Storm-Petrels fol- 

 lowed us day and night ; and it was some relief to the extreme 

 monotony and misery of our situation (for our vessel was a mere 

 schooner of 80 tons) to watch the movements of these fairy-like 

 beings as they danced among the surging billows, running with flut- 

 tering wings in the hollow of the waves, and then hovering over their 

 foaming crests with the lightness of summer butterflies. I observed 

 that the same individual bird often remained in our wake for con- 

 siderable distances, without ever resting on the water or changing its 

 course for one moment, its powers of endurance being truly w^onder- 

 ful." — Buller. 



148. Thalassidroma nereis. Gould. 



Geey-backed Stoeji-Peteel. 

 Above, ash ; head, browni'sli-ash ; tail, ash, with a black tip ; under-surface, white. 

 L., 67; W., 5-5; B., U; T., 1-25. 

 Hab. — Both Islands. 



" The sj)ecies is readily distinguishable from the other Storm- 

 Petrels by the absence of white on the rump." — Buller. 



PELECANIDiE. 



All four toes connected together bj a broad membrane ; throat, furnished with a pouch. 



Dtsporus. Illiger. 



Bill, strong, straight ; first and second quills the longest ; tail, gi'aduated ; claw of 

 middle toe, serrated ; hind claw, rudimentary. 

 All parts of the world. 



149. Dysporus serrator. Banl-s. 



Gannet. Takapu. 



White, with the top and sides of the head buff; quills and four middle tail-feathers, 

 black. 



Youyiff. — Grey, spotted with white, 



