DUSKY SHEARWATER. 33 



Museum ; and Capt. Cook is said to have met with it on 

 Christmas Island in lat. 2° N., long. 15'8° W. In general 

 appearance it is similar to the Manx Shearwater, hut it is 

 considerably smaller, the bill is much more slender, and 

 the tint of the upper parts more distinctly black. 



The whole length of the bird, as previously mentioned, 

 is eleven inches ; bill to the feathers on the forehead one 

 inch ; the nail curved and shining black, the other parts 

 bluish-black ; the top and sides of the head, including the 

 eyes, the neck above, the back, upper tail-coverts, upper 

 surface of the tail-feathers, and the same parts of all the 

 wing-feathers ink black ; chin, sides of the head below the 

 eyes, throat, neck, breast, belly, under wing and tail-coverts 

 white ; on the sides of the neck, at the junction of the dark 

 and light colour, the feathers are barred slightly ; axillary 

 plumes white ; under surfaces of the primaries blackish- 

 grey ; darkest near the shaft of each feather, becoming 

 lighter in colour over the outer part of each broad inner 

 web ; under surface of tail-feathers uniform lead-grey; legs, 

 with the tarsal bones very much compressed, bluish ash- 

 colour, toes the same, the interdigital membranes pale 

 yellow when dried ; irides brown. 



Mr. Harcourt remarks that in the Dusky Shearwater all 

 the secretions are green, whereas they are yellow in the 

 Manx Shearwater. 



VOL. rv. 



