172 Allen's naturalist's library. 



the anterior edge. The tail is moderate and rounded. The 

 bill is rather short, stout, and black ; the nasal opening is 

 slightly directed upwards ; the claw of the hallux small. (Cf. 

 Salvin, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 368). 



L THE CAPPED PETREL. (ESTRELATA H/ESITATA. 



Frocellaria hcEstfafa, Kuhl^ Beitr. p. 142 (1820). 



(Estrelata hcesitata^ Dresser. B. Eur. viii. p. 545, pi. 618 



(1880); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 200 (1883); Saunders, 



ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iv. p. 8 (1884); id. Man. Brit. B. 



p. 713 (1889); Salvin, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 402 



(1896). 



Adult. — General colour above sooty-brown, with obsolete 

 margins of lighter brown on the feathers of the back ; the 

 lower back and rump slightly blacker, as also the wing-coverts 

 and scapulars ; upper tail-coverts white ; tail slightly wedge- 

 shaped, black, with a good deal of white towards the base ; 

 crown of head blackish, forming a cap ; hind-neck white, with 

 a few sooty-brown bars on the nape ; lores white ; feathers 

 below the eye sooty-brown ; sides of face, ear-coverts, and 

 under surface of body, white, with a little sooty-brown on the 

 upper sides of the breast ; a few of the lower fianks tipped 

 with sooty-brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, the 

 lesser and marginal coverts blackish, forming a broad border to 

 the inner aspect of the wing; lower primary-coverts white, 

 tipped with black spots ; quill-lining ashy ; bill black ; tarsi 

 and toes yellow, the distal portion of the latter, and the webs 

 for the same distance, black. Total length, i6'o inches ; 

 culmen, 17; wing, 11-3; tail, 3*8; centre feathers, 5*0; 

 tarsus, I "56. 



Cliaracters. — The distinguishing characters of this species 

 are given by Mr. Salvin as follows : — " The exposed portion of 

 the outer primary beneath is dark, not white ; the bill is wide 

 at the gape ; the under surface is white, as well as the back of 

 the neck ; the crown is blackish, and the upper tail-coverts are 

 white. (Cf. Salvin, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 398.) 



Range in Great Britain. — The only instance of the occurrence 

 of this rare Petrel in Great Britain is that of a specimen taken 



