822 



U. S. p. E R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Phoebastria, E e i c h .^ 

 DIOMEDEA BRACHYURA, Temminck. 



The Short-tailed Albatross. 



Diomedea brachyura, Tehh. PI. col. v, about 1828.— Cassin, 111. I, 1855, 289 pi. 1. Adult. 



Diomedea nigripes, AvD. Cm. Biog. V, 1839, 327.— 1b. Bird? Am. VII, 1842, 198.— Cass. Ills. I, 1854, 210 ; pi. 



XXXV. (Young.) 

 9 Diomedea chiriensis, Temm. 

 ? Diomedea epomophoray Lesson. 

 Sp. Ch. — .idult. Head and neck white, tinged with pale yellow ; primaries, tips of secondaries and tertiaries, upper edge of 

 the wing and greater wing coverts brownish black ; tail white, tipped with dark brown ; back and entire under plumage pure 

 white ; bill pale reddish yellow ; legs flesh color. 

 Length, 33 inches ; alar extent, 84 ; wing, 20 ; tail, 5i ; bill, 5 ; tarsus, 35. 



The young are ashy brown, lighter on the abdomen; for some distance around the base of the bill, and a space below the eye, 

 grayish white ; bill dusky ; tarsi and feet black. 



Hub. — North Pacific ; coasts of California and Oregon. 



There are four specimens of the young in the collection. 



In Mr. Cassin's Illustrations of the Birds of California, &c., (referred to above,) is given a 

 quite full history of the habits and changes of plumage of this species, taken from Peale's volume 

 on the Birds of the Exploring Expedition of the Vincennes and Peacock. 



It seems to be an abundant species in the North Pacific, but most of the specimens obtained are 

 young and in the plumage in which it is described by Mr. Audubon as D. nigripes. In adult 

 plumage it resembles D. exulans, but is smaller and distinguished from it by its sborter tail. 



Audubon gives 36 inches as the length, but the measurements given above are those of a 

 young specimen in my cabinet taken when in a fresh state. They no doubt vary much in 

 size as in some of the other species. 



List of specimens. 



Thalassarche, Reich. = 

 DIOMEDEA CHLORORHYNCHUS, Gmelin. 



The YellOAv-nosed Albatross. 



Diomedea chlororhynchos, Ghel. Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 568.— Add, Orn. Biog. V, '1839, 326.— Is. Birds Am. VII, 



1844, 196. 

 " Diomedea chrysosloma, Fokbter." 

 " Diomedea presaga, Brakdt. " 



' Bill broad. Tail excessively short. 

 ' Bill compressed. Tail moderate. 



