NATATORES. 421 



eastern and north-eastern coasts of Australia, and is said to 

 breed on Norfolk Island. It is in every respect a true Anoiis, 

 and, so far as is known, has many habits in common with 

 those of the other members of the genus. 



Mr. Macgillivray sent beautiful examples of the eggs of 

 this species. They are cream-coloured, sparingly spotted, and 

 dashed with reddish brown and grey markings, the latter 

 appearing to be beneath the surface ; they are one inch and 

 five-eighths long by one inch and a quarter wide. 



Head, neck, and all the under surface silvery greyish 

 white ; round the eye a narrow ring of feathers, the anterior 

 half of which is deep black and the posterior half white; 

 back, wings, and tail Hght grey ; secondaries tipped with 

 white ; bill black ; tarsi and toes brownish black ; interdigital 

 membrane yelloAvish. 



Total length 11 inches ; bill 1^ ; wing 8 ; tail 5 ; tarsi IJ ; 

 middle toe and nail If. 



Family PROCELLAEID-ffi). 



There is perhaps no group of birds respecting which so 

 much confusion exists, and the extent of whose range over the 

 ocean is so little known, as that forming the present family. 



Having paid much attention to these birds during my pas- 

 sages to and from Australia, my researches were rewarded by 

 my obtaining a knowledge of nearly forty different species, 

 most of which are peculiar to the southern hemisphere, and 

 many of them frequenters of the Australian seas. The largest 

 and most important of these truly oceanic birds are the 

 Albatroses, next to these the great Petrels, and then the 

 Shearwaters, Prions, Diving and Storm-Petrels. All these 

 frequenters of the great deep, from the huge Diomedea to 

 the little Thalassidromce, principally live on the PhysalicBy 

 gelatinous Mediisce, and other lowly organized creatures, the 

 larger birds changing their diet occasionally by feeding upon 



