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THALASSIDROMA PELAGICA— LINN. 

 LEAST PETREL. 



Stormy Petrel, Thalassidroma pelagica, Nuttall. 

 Least Peti-el, Thalassidroma pelagica, Audubon. 



Specific Character — Bill and feet black, from the frontlet feathers 

 3-8thsofan inch, tarsi 3-4ths; upper parts grayish-black; lower parts 

 sooty brown ; secondary coverts tipped with white ; the rump and 

 upper tail coverts broadly tipped with white, the latter black ; tail 

 slightly rounded ; webs wholly black. Length six inches, wing 

 four and five-eighths. 



This, the smallest of the Petrels, is closely allied to Wilson's Pe- 

 trel, both in habits and plumage ; it differs from that species in being 

 about one inch and a half less in' length, and also in the absence of 

 the yellow spot on the webs, and having the entire lower parts sooty 

 brown. The Least Petrel is said to breed on the Orkneys and He- 

 brides, on the cliffs. The eggs are two. Not uncommon on the 

 banks of Newfoundland, and not observed to breed on the Ameri- 

 can coast. — Audubon. 



GENUS MORMON — ILLIGER. 



PUFFIN. 



[Bill about the length of the head, extremely compressed, as high aa long ; 

 head large ; neck short, thick ; body full ; wings short ; tail short, slightly 

 rounded, of sixteen feathers ; tarsi and feet short — the latter rather strong, 

 and placed far behind the centre of the body.] 



MORMON ARCTICUS— LINN. 



COMMON OR ARCTIC PUFFIN. 



Mormon Arcticus, Bonap. Syn. 

 Puffin, Mormon Arcticus, Aud. Om. Biog. 

 Puffin, or Coulteniabe, Nuttall. 



Specific Character — Bill about the length of the head ; at the base 

 very high, becoming gradually reduced to a point ; anterior to the 

 nostrils much compressed, Avitli three distinct curved grooves on both 

 mandibles, the ridge of both and basal rim of upper, dull yellow ; ante- 

 rior to the nostrils red ; the rest part blue. Adult male with the up- 

 per part of the head, hind neck, and a broad collar passing round 



