° "i9ig J Loomis, Wedge-tailed Shearwater. 487 



From the above quotations it appears evident the birds were quite 

 numerous about 1838, some seasons appearing in greater numbers than in 

 others, the date of their arrival, however, always being somewhat erratic. 



So far, unfortunately, I have been unable to obtain any reliable informa- 

 tion from the older inhabitants concerning the date of the last pigeons seen 

 here, but probably they disappeared between 1880 and 1885, although it is 

 possible a few stragglers may have lingered even up to 1896, the date of the 

 last one recorded in Maine. 



DICHROMATISM IN THE WEDGE-TAILED 

 SHEARWATER. 



BY LEVERETT MILLS LOOMIS. 



Plate XIX. 1 



The Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Pvffinus chlowrhynchiis) appears 

 to be restricted to the warmer areas of the Indian and Pacific 

 oceans. It has been definitely reported as breeding on the Sey- 

 chelle and Mascarene islands in the western Indian Ocean, on 

 islands off the west and east coasts of Australia, on Lord Howe, 

 Norfolk, Kermadec, and Surprise islands in the southwestern 

 Pacific, and in the North Pacific on Volcano and Marcus islands, 

 the Leeward group and Kauai of the Hawaiian Archipelago, and 

 San Benedicto of the Revilla Gigedo Islands. Specimens have 

 been obtained in the Caroline, Marshall, Phoenix, Fanning, and 

 Society islands. Whether any of the colonies are migratory, 

 remains to be determined. 



In the extreme dark phase of this Shearwater, the general color 

 aspect of the upper parts is dark brown and that of the lower 

 grayish brown, becoming gray on the foreneck. In the extreme 

 light phase, the general aspect is grayish brown above and white 

 below, except on lower tail-coverts. Intermediates have the white 



1 The photograph reproduced in this plate was kindly taken for me by Mr. L. R. 

 Reynolds. 



