Vol. XXXIV : 
1917 OBERHOLSER, The Genus Puffinus Brisson. 471 
NOTES ON THE GENUS PUFFINUS BRISSON. 
BY HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. 
THE genus Puffinus Brisson, as currently recognized, has re- 
cently been separated by Messrs. Mathews and Iredale into a 
number of generic groups.!. The present writer, in connection 
with other work on the Biological Survey collection, in the United 
States National Museum, has had occasion to investigate the generic 
status of the various shearwaters of the genus Puffinus, conse- 
quently to review the classification adopted by Messrs. Mathews 
and Iredale; and the results of this study may be worth placing 
on record, particularly in so far as they affect the species found in 
North America. 
The new genus Calonectris,? proposed for Puffinus leucomelas 
Temminck and Puffinus kuhlii Boie, appears to be well charac- 
terized by its large, robust bill, prominent nasal tubes, rather stout 
and somewhat abbreviated tarsi. 
The genus Ardenna Reichenbach,’ revived to include Puffinus 
gravis (O’Reilly) and Puffinus creatopus Coues, seems to be suffi- 
ciently different from true Puffinus, by reason of its more promi- 
nent nostrils and relatively, as well as actually, larger and heavier 
dertrum. 
The proposed genus Hemipuffinus,‘ with its relatively short, heavy 
bill and prominent nostrils, looks very different from the typical 
species of Ardenna, but is so intimately connected with Ardenna 
gravis by individual variation of Ardenna creatopus that the differ- 
ence between the two supposed groups is thus completely bridged; 
and Hemipuffinus, with its single species, must be merged with 
Ardenna. It may, however, be retained as a subgeneric group. 
The genus Thyellodroma Stejneger,> revived by Mathews and 
1 Austral Avian Record, II, 1913-1914, pp. 12, 20, 110; Ibis, ser. 10, III, No. 3, July, 
1915, pp. 582-604. 
2 Mathews and Iredale, Ibis, ser. 10, III, No. 3, July, 1915, p. 586 (type by designation 
[p. 592], Puffinus leucomelas Temminck). 
3 Natiirl. Syst. Vogel, 1852, p. IV (type by monotypy, Procellaria major Faber, = Procel- 
laria gravis O'Reilly). 
4Tredale, Austral Avian Record, II, No. 1, August 2, 1913, p. 20 (type, by original 
designation, Puffinus carneipes Gould). 
5 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XI, November 8, 1888, p. 93 (type by original designation, 
Puffinus sphenurus Gould). 
