Ornithological Notes. 7 



black, most conspicuous on the upper part of the back ; smaller 

 wing coverts black, tipped with brown ; larger wing coverts 

 white, margined and tipped with black ; primaries, black on 

 the outer webs, and white on the inner to near the end, where 

 they are brown ; secondaries white, lightly tipped with black ; 

 tail, white, with a terminal band of black ; under tail coverts 

 white, sparingly marked with blackish-grey; under plumage, 

 white ; bill, black ; legs and feet, brown, with some orange- 

 colored markings on the toes. 



Most of the black markings in the plumage have a plumbe- 

 ous hue. 



Length of skin, 15 inches ; wing from flexure, 105 inches ; 

 bill, If inch ; tarsus, If inch ; tail, 41 inches. 



From the coast of California, opposite Monterey. Cabinet of 

 N. Pike, Esq. 



III. — Ornithological Notes. No. 2. 



By Geo. ~N. La whence. Read March 28, 1853. 



1. Stercorarius catarractes (Linn.). Entire upper plu- 

 mage, dark umber -brown, with the shafts and tips of many of 

 the feathers greyish- white ; wings, deep chocolate-brown, darker 

 on the outer webs of the primaries ; these have the basal half 

 white, most extensive on the inner webs ; the shafts are white ; 

 the tail is dark chocolate-brown, with the shafts white at the 

 base ; under plumage dull ferruginous-brown, lighter than the 

 back ; feathers of the neck, j^ellowish-white along the shafts ; 

 bill, black ; legs and feet, black. 



The tail is rounded, and consists of twelve feathers, the two 

 central somewhat lengthened. 



In form very strong and heavy. 



