90 KIXCHCJRX 6L- CAYLEV, Stonn Petrels. Ti^f^cT 



A j^lance at the abrne synonomy will show that we include 

 T. leiicof/aster Gould, and F. tiibulata Mathews, under F. 

 tropica Gould. This course was not adopted until a thorough 

 examination was made of the specimens available, comparing 

 them critically with the various descriptions and notes made by 

 the authorities quoted in the bibliography. In discussing this 

 cpiestion we refer to our introduction, in which we quote and 

 abide by the various observations and opinions held by Loomis.^ 



The specimens before us number ten : Four of these were 

 identified and labelled by Gould, two as Thalassidroma Icuco- 

 (jaster, one as T. niela)W(/aster, and one as T. tropica. The re- 

 maining six were distributed as fcjllows : Two mounted speci- 

 mens of F. tropica in the .\ustralian Museum, and four of T. 

 nielaiiogaster in the IMacleay Mu.seum, University of v^ydney. 

 We have pleasure in ])roposing for this species the vernacular 

 name — Gould Storm- Petrel. 



F. leucogastcr as ojjposed to F. </raliuriu. 



Bonaparte^'' wrongly placed T. icucogastcr Gould as a syno- 

 nym of P. f/rallaria X'ieillot, and this mistake has been con- 

 tinuously accepted since that time. Later, several si)ecimens 

 collectecl by the Clialleiu/er Expedition were identified as F. 

 ijrallaria, instead of F. Iciicof/astcr, an action which has caused 

 most of the trouble since, as authors have evidently followed 

 this lead. We therefore hold that the F. i/rallaria referred to 

 by most authors is really the form usually recognised as Frct/etta 

 leiicogaster, Gould. This latter species is generally placed in 

 the synonomy of Fregetia grallaria; but as F. leucogastcr is 

 certainly not Fregetta grallaria 'Yieillot, which lias been placed 

 in the new genus Fregettornis, by Mathews,^^ it is probable that 

 the F. leucogastcr referred to above is synonymous with Fre- 

 getia tropica. 



VAKLVTIOX. 



Godman^'' refers to Fregetta grallaria as being closely allied 

 to Fregetta inclaiiogaster; but he states that the former always 

 has a white belly and white margins to the feathers of the back. 

 Dr. Rowdier Sharj^e.^" who uses the generic name Ocea)iites in 

 l)reference to Fregetta, says that "the differences between C). 

 mehuiogaster and O. tropica are extremely slight, consisting in 

 the white throat and the greater amount of black in the abdomen 

 and centre of the body, in the latter bird. I believe it i)ossible 

 that 0. leucogastcr is also only a stage of plumage of the same 

 species, the four sjjecimens in the Museum bemg apparently 

 immature, with narrow whitish edgings to the feathers of the 

 ui>per surface. . . ." I'oth Salvin and Godman^^ oppose this, 

 and Godman says that grallaria never shows any black on the 

 abdomen, while the white banded specimens which he examined 

 in the I'ritish Museum api)eare(l to be adult birds. He also 

 states that the white edges to the feathers of the back seem to 



