68 Alexander, Australian Species of Tubinaves. [.sf'o'ct. 



July, 1847 (^^' P- -^5)- Specimens have been picked up dead 

 on tlie beach after storms in all the southern States during the 

 winter. No less than 35 were found by Mr. F. L. Stronach and 

 myself in August, 1919, on the beach at Cottesloe, W.A., on three 

 succeeding days. 



The type locality of the species is New Zealand, and Mathews 

 considers that a bird obtained at Sydney belongs to the New 

 Zealand race. Bass Strait birds he separates as P. v. goiddi and 

 West x^ustralian birds as P. v. missa. 



Sub-genus Pscudoprion. 

 Pachyptila tiirtur (Kuhl). Fairy Prion or Dove-Petrel. 



This species breeds on islands in Bass Strait and off the coasts 

 of Tasmania and Victoria. Gould obtained specimens off Cape 

 Howe on i6th April, 1839 (i, pp. 472 and 473, P. ariel). North 

 observed them near Montague Island and Gabo Island as well 

 as in Bass Strait, and states that odd birds have been obtained 

 in Sydney Harbour (8, p. 374). Dead birds have been picked 

 up on beaches in New South Wales and Victoria. 



The type locality of the species is Bass Strait, and Mathews 

 has separated birds from Sydney as P. t. nova {Austral Avian 

 Record, iii., p. 55). 



The species has usually been known as P. arid, f)ut Kuhl's name 

 has priority. 



Sub-genus Hderoprion. 



This division of the genus presents great difficulty, and it seems 

 almost impossible to decide how many species should be admitted. 

 The sole method of solving the question will be the discovery of 

 the breeding-places of these little birds and the examination of 

 series from each. 



After careful study of numerous specimens obtained in Western 

 Australia, and consideiation of the views put forward by Salvin, 

 Godman, Mathews, and Loomis, I think that it would be best 

 for the present only to admit a single species. 

 Pachyptila desolata (Gmelin). Prion or Dove-Petrel. 



This " species " can be distinguished from P. vittata and P. 

 tiirtur owing to differences in the form of the bill — a fact which 

 Mathews has emphasized by placing the birds in different genera. 

 Loomis does not admit this, but regards them all as of one species. 

 I have never found any difficulty in distinguishing P. vittata from 

 the narrower-billed form at sight on the beach, and it is un- 

 doubtedly a larger and heavier bird. I have never met with 

 P. tiirfiir, but it is evidently equally easily distinguished by its 

 short l)cak. The intermediate birds have usually been divided 

 into two species — desolatus and hanksi ; but I find that all authors 

 have expressed doubt as to the possibility of separating these 

 forms. Mathews has apparently united them and described a 

 new narrow-billed form under the name of belcheri ; but whether 

 this can be maintained remains to be proved. 



These birds are picked up dead on the beaches in all the 

 southern States after winter storms. Records of birds observed 



