DUSKY SHEARWATER. 33 



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

 Christmas Island ii> lat. 2° N., long. 158° W. In general 

 appearance it is similar to the Manx Shearwater, but 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. IV. 



