PROCELLARIID.^. 11 



smaller than D. exulans, but is nevertheless a grand-looking bird, measiiring some ten 

 feet across the wings. The first I ever saw was in lat. 23" 58' N., and long. 132" 16' E. — 

 that is to say, in the China Seas, just out of the Tropics. After a deal of persuasion in 

 the way of ground-bait, it was fairly hooked, but carried away everything owing to the 

 speed of the vessel at the time ; but farther north, on other occasions, I was more 

 fortunate. I have noticed that some of these birds have a white streak running round 

 the base of the tail, that gives them the name of "Ringtail" at sea; for it is exactly 

 like the white on the shore-loving "Ringtail," the female Hen Harrier (Circm ciiaiu'us). 

 We also considered in this case, too, that they were the females, but I never was fortunate 

 enough to catch one. To sum up on this species, I should say that this is the only 

 Albatross found habitually north of the line ; it has, even for an Albatross, a 

 particularly short whitish-marked stumpy tail, and in size is just between the Albatross 

 (D. exulans) and the so-called "Mollyhawk" (D. melanoplmjs). Mr. Salvin, in his report 

 on Procellariidce collected by H.M.S. 'Challenger,' says: — 



Diomedea brachyura. — Two males and one female. North Pacific. " These were all caught with the 

 hook from the ship while at sea in June and the first half of July, 1874, between Japan and Honolulu ; 

 they followed the ship every day in numbers till we got into the trade winds, when no more were 

 observed." 



One female. North Pacific. " Eyes brown, bill black ; stomach empty. Shot on the 1st April, 1875, 

 by Lord Campbell, with the Henry-rifle, while on the wing. We were just north of the Tropic ; but this 

 bird, as well as another Albatross, were seen some days before we had passed out of the Tropics." 



One male. North Pacific. "Eyes brown, feet and bill dark or nearly black; stomach had cuttlefish. 

 Caught with a hook, 7th April, 1875." (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878, p. 740.) 



D. nigripes of many writers is only a dark-coloured variety of this bird; in the same 

 way that the chocolate-coloured D. exulans is only a variety of the Great Wandering 

 Albatross. 



Fig. 3 represents the head of the Cautious Albatross (D. cauta), whose head-quarters 

 are the Bass's Straits. Many of us have often seen this bird, but only considering it an 

 uncommonly wily "Molly" have failed to note it as a distinct species. It is, in fact, as 

 a rule, too clever to be caught, and therefore few opportunities occur for examining it. 

 It may, however, at close quarters always be distinguished from its relatives by the 

 peculiar bright yellow edging at the base of the lower mandible (see Fig. 3). In size it 

 is slightly less than the Short-tailed Albatross, and is nearly allied to, but larger than, 

 D. melnnophnis (Fig. 6), and is to be met with both on shore and at sea in the same 

 latitudes as D. exnlans. In Mr. Osbert Salvin's notes to me he says, " Very little known 

 of this bird, except Gould's account." In the 'Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' 1810 



