34 



BIRDS OF KERGUELEN ISLAND. 



in stony ground. The burrow is similar to tbat of Halobcsna, and tbe 

 birds begin to lay at about the same time. Both species being nocturnal 

 in their habits, it was difficult to detect any differences between them in 

 note or habits ; I did not, at least, succeed in doing so. 



1 tirst saw this bird at sea, on the way out, about a hundred miles 

 southeast of Tristan d'Acunha (South Atlantic Ocean), in July. The 

 V-marking already described is very i^rominent when the birds are thus 

 seen; and their irregularity of flight, using first one wing and then the 

 other, with their tendency to fly in flocks, and disregard of tbe waste 

 from the ship's galley — traits not common to other petrels — lead to their 

 often being mistaken for shore-birds, or, at least, for that class of birds 

 which are seldom seen far from land. I did not succeed in absolutely 

 identifying any eggs. 



HALOBiENA C^RULEA, (Gm.) Bp. 

 " Whale-Bird." 



Procellaria cwriilea, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i, 1788, p. 560, and of authors generally. 



Paclujpiila ccernlea, Illiger, Prod. 1811, p. 275. 



Halobcena ccernlea, BoNAPAirrE, Consp. Av. ii, 1856, p. 193. 



CouES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila. 1866, f. 163. 

 Procellaria similis, Forster, " ic. ined. 86''; Descr. Auim., ed. Licht. 1844, p. 59. 

 Procellaria forsteri, Smith, 111. S. Afr. B., pi. 54. 



Readily recognized at a glance by tbe sbort, square, sharply white-tipped tail. 



There is no difficulty whatever with the specific names of this species ; though I sus- 

 pect that an expert in the iutricjucies of nomenclature, on diligently applying himself 

 to tbe case, would discover tbat a different and probably a new generic name would 

 here be admissible, if not actually required. {Zaprimn, t\.) 



This strongly-specialized bird appears to be rather rare in collections. Before exam- 

 ining Dr. Kidder's specimens, the first received at the Smithsonian, I had only seen it 

 in tbe Philadelphia Academy. — C. 



List of specimens, with measurements. 



