^"'Ji"'] KIXC.HORN c^- L\\\\M\, Storm Petrels. 95 



turned upwards or recurved, instead of being attached to the 

 bill throughout its entire length as in the other members of the 

 genus. In the distribution of its colouring it is very nearly allied 

 to T. tropica and T. Icitcoc/ostcr, and it may be a mere variety of 

 one or other of those species; but the bill, in addition to the 

 feature pointed out above, is of a more slender and attenuated 

 form than is observable in any other." 



Mathews-^ examined this bird, to which he attached (jould's 

 m.s. name of Frcgctta tiibiilata, and found that the tube was as 

 stated above. The feathers of the throat had light bases, the 

 upper tail-coverts were white without black tips, tail scjuare, the 

 under tail-coverts dark ; there were stray dark markings on the 

 belly. The toes longer, and not so much flattened, and the claws 

 longer and more spatulate than in tropica or Icucogaster. Wing, 

 155; tarsus, 37; middle toe without claw, 21; middle toe and 

 claw would make this measurement 26 ov 27 mm.) ; culmen, 14. 



We have before us, as stated previously, specimens of T. 

 tropica, T. luclanogastcr and T. leucogaster, identified and 

 labelled by Gould ; and we are able to say definitely that some 

 error has occurred in Gould's statement in regard to the nostril 

 tube. Evidently in his types the nostril tube was flattened, this 

 being due to want of special care when the skins were being 

 prepared. We pointed out in another part of this paper that 

 the under-surface of the nostril-tube is soft in life, and liable 

 to collapse unless great care be taken in preparing a skin. The 

 nostril-tube of Gould's bird, which w^as turned upwards, is there- 

 fore normal and apparently the same as in other members of the 

 genus (see figs. 4 and 5) ; furthermore, we fail to see, on the 

 measurements given by Mathews, that the toes of F. tuhulata 

 are longer and the claw^s more spatulate. We have Gould's own 

 specimens of T. leucogaster, and they have the longer, \mA the 

 shorter, toes. 



This bird is supposed to be intermediate betvv^een T. tropica 

 and T. leucogaster, which we have decided are synonymous, and 

 we therefore have no hesitation in placing F. tuhulata in the 

 synonomy of Fregetfa tropica Gould. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



As Procellaria grallaria^'^ A'ieillot has been definitely placed 

 in a separate genus from Fregetta; and as T. leucogaster Gould 

 remains in the genus Fregetta, though it w^as previously con- 

 founded with Vieillot's species, ^"^ it remained for us either to 

 accei>t leucogaster as a distinct species or to place it in the 

 synonymous list. 



F. grallaria of authors other than A'ieillot is undoubtedly F. 

 leucoqaster Gould. 



T. melauogaster Gould has long been declared synonymous 

 with Fregetta tropica Gould. 



