NATURAL SCIENCES OF PUILADELrHIA, 147 



on their inner webs and towards their bases. The head, neck and breast all 

 round are like the back, but not quite so intense in color ; and the dark tint 

 only Occupies the extreme tips of the feathers ; while its continuity is also in- 

 terrupted by some whitish spots that show at intervals. There is no distinct 

 line of demarcation between the dark color of the breast, and the pure white 

 which occupies every other portion of the under parts of the bird, with the 

 exception of a few dark brown isolated feathers along the sides under the 

 wings and the crissum, and some streaks on the outer margins of the external 

 under tail coverts. The bill is black ; the tarsi, first digital phalanges, and 

 included portions of interdigital membranes, are dull yellowish, but were 

 probably flesh colored in life. The rest of the webs and toes are black. 



^STRELATA INCERTA (Schl.) COUBS. 



ProceUaria incerta, Schlegel, Mon. Proc. Mus. Pays-Bas, 18G3, p. 9. 



" Wing 11 inches 5 lines ; point of the wing 3 inches 9 lines. Tail : middle 

 feathers 4 inches 10 lines ; external feathers 3 inches and 3 to 5 lines. Bill : 

 length 16 lines to 17 lines and a half; height 5 lines to 5 lines and a half. 

 Width 6 lines to 6 lines and a half. Length of nasal tube 3 lines and a half. 

 Tarsus 18 lines and a half. Middle toe 1 inch and 10 to 11 lines. Feet yel- 

 lowish, becoming black upon the two last or the last joints of the toes, with 

 the contained membrane. Head, neck and back brownish gray, clearer and 

 inclining to whitish on the throat or whole under part of the neck. Back, 

 wings and tail blackish brown. Below from the breast, white, mixed with 

 brown on the flanks and becoming brown on the under tail coverts." 



Habitat. — "Southern Oceans, New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia." 

 [Schlegeh] 



The above is a copy of Dr. Schlegel's description of this supposed species, of 

 which the author further says : "I have not been able to refer this species 

 to any one hitherto described. It appears allied to the Proc. rostrata, Peale, 

 * * but has the under tail coverts dark colored instead of white, and its 

 colors generally are less brownish." It is to be deplored, that in introducing 

 a species into so difficult a family as the present one, a more detailed descrip- 

 tion was not given. 



As well as I can judge by the description, the species is about the size of P. 

 rostrata, but distinguished from the latter by the diflerent color of the under 

 tail coverts, and a less decidedly brown tinge of the upper parts generally. 

 It is probable also that if the bill possessed the turgidity which characterizes 

 that of rostrata, together with the peculiar outline of the frontal feathers, 

 these points would not have escaped the attention of Dr. Schlegel. The bird 

 may pretty safely, then, be separated from rostrata. 



I think that it is to the immature plumage of yEsti-elata Lessoni that the 

 species is to be referred, if it be really not valid. There were no recognized 

 specimens of this latter species in the Museum of the Pays-Bas when incerta 

 was founded. It comes in all respects exceedingly near the plumage I des- 

 cribe above as that of the young Lessoni ; so much so that I fail to detect ma- 

 terial discrepancies. Still I should not like to reduce any species founded by 

 a competent naturalist, except by autopsy ; and therefore leave it as described 

 by its author; only desiring to call attention to the necessity of careful com- 

 parison with the plumage of the young Lessoni. 



iEsTKELATA NEGLECTA (Schl.) CoUCS. 



Procellaria iieglecta, Schlegel, Mon. Proc. Mus. Pays-Bas, 1863, p. lU. 



" Colors of the plumage and of the feet as in P. incerta. But much smaller 

 in size and with tlie shafts of the quill feathers whitish. Wing 10 inches and 

 6 to 11 lines ; point of tlie wing 4 inches and 1 to 10 lines. Tail 3 inches and 

 8 to 11 lines. Bill : length 13 lines and a half; height 4 to 5 lines ; width 5 

 lines and a half to 6 lines and a half. Length of nasal tubes a little over 2 

 lines. Tarsus 17 lines to 17 and a half. Middle toe 19 lines to 19 and a half." 



IBS'?.] 



