NATATORES. 463 



Sp. 631. iESTRELATA MOLLIS, Gould. 



SOFT-PLUMAGED PeTREL. 



Procellaria mollis, Gould in Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vol. xiii. 



p. 363. 

 Rhantistes mollis, Bonap. Conip. Rend, de FAcad. Sc, 1856. 

 Cookilaria mollis, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., torn. ii. p. 190, Cookilaria, 



sp. 4. 



Procellaria mollis, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. vii. pi. 50. 



This species flies in the greatest abundance between the 

 20th and 50th degrees of south latitude ; but I observed it to 

 be more numerous in the Atlantic than in the Pacific ; and 

 probably, like the other wandering members of this genus, it 

 makes a circuit of the globe : although I have not seen it 

 within sight of the shores of Australia, it doubtless occasion- 

 ally visits them, for I observed it to be plentiful off the eastern 

 end of the islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam. It is a species 

 which will ever live in my memory, from its being the first 

 large Petrel I saw after crossing the line, and from a some- 

 what curious incident that then occurred. The weather being 

 too boisterous to admit of a boat being lowered, I endeavoured 

 to capture the bird with a hook and line ; and the ordinary 

 sea- hooks being too large for the purpose, I was in the act of 

 selecting one from my stock of salmon-flies, when a sudden 

 gust of wind blew my hooks and a piece of parchment ten 

 inches long by six inches wide, between which they were 

 placed, overboard into the sea, and I was obliged to give up the 

 attempt for that day ; on the next I succeeded in capturing 

 the bird with a hook I had still left, and the reader may judge 

 of my surprise when on opening the stomach I there found 

 the piece of parchment, softened by the action of the salt 

 water and the animal juices to which it had been subjected, 

 but so completely uninjured that it was dried and again 

 restored to its original use when a further supply of flies could 

 be procured. 



