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Yarrell thus gives their generic characters :—" Bill as long, or longer than the head, 

 slender ; upper mandible compressed and curved towards the point ; under mandible also 

 slender and curved at the point. Nostrils tubular, opening by two separate orifices. Legs of 

 moderate length, tarsi compressed laterally ; toes, three in front, rather long, webbed 

 throughout; hind toe rudimentary. Wings long and pointed, the first quill-feather the 

 longest." 



The Manx Shearwater (Pujfiims anglunun). — "This, the common Shearwater that 

 frequents the coasts of Great Britain, is found throughout the North Atlantic Ocean, not 

 ranging into the Baltic, but is found in the Mediterranean as far as the Black Sea" (Dresser). 

 On the Australian voyage we should certainly see one or more on our way down Channel. My 

 specimen is fourteen inches from tip of beak to end of tail ; head, back, and wings, black ; 

 throat, breast, and under surface, white ; beak, legs, and feet, blackish yellow. 



Allied Petrel (Pujfimis nugax). — This is the Southern Seas representative of our 

 European Dusky Petrel (Puffinus obscurus) of the Shearwater class. Gould thus describes the 

 bird : — *' Crown of the head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail, sooty-black ; sides of the 

 face, throat, and all the under surface, white ; bill dark horn-colour ; tarsi and toes, greenish 

 yellow; webs yellowish orange. Total length, eleven inches ; bill, two inches and five-eighths; 

 wing, six inches and a half; tail, three inches; tarsi, one inch and a quarter." Both the 

 Natural History Museum and Mr. Salvin call this bird P. assimilis. 



Short-tailed Petrel {Nectris brevicaudus). — This bird is well known at sea as the 

 Mutton-bird. I have often wondered why; but in the 'Field' of January 10th, 1885, I read as 

 follows: — "Mutton-birds (Puffinus brevicaudus) are an item of commerce in New Zealand, and 

 caught and potted in their natural oil in immense numbers." Hence, then, I suppose the 

 name. Gould says: — " The sexes are so much alike that they can only be distinguished by 

 dissection. The whole of the plumage sooty-brown ; the under surface much paler than the 

 upper ; bill blackish-brown, tinged with olive ; the under mandible with a longitudinal mark 

 of vinous grey ; irides brownish black ; outer side of the tarsi and outer toe, brownish black ; 

 inner side of the tarsi and two inner toes, vinous grey ; webs yellowish flesh-colour, becoming 

 blackish brown towards the extremity." In the Natural History Museum this bird is called 

 Puffinus brevicaudata. 



Fleshy-footed Petrel (Nectris carneipes). — Another Puffinus, thus described by Gould : — 

 "There is no difference in the colouring of the sexes, which may be thus described: 

 The whole of the plumage chocolate-black ; bill fleshy-white ; the culmen and tips of the 



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