PROCELLARIID.E. CXXX. 223 



FAMILY CXXX. PROCELLARIID^J. (THE PETRELS.) 



Nostrils tubular, united together in a double tube placed hori- 

 zontally. Bill hooked at tip, its covering not continuous, consisting 

 of several horny pieces separated by deep grooves ; hind toe minute 

 or absent. Wings long and pointed ; tail moderate ; feet short, the 

 front toes full-webbed. Plumage compact and oily, not varying 

 much with sex, age or season. Gregarious sea-birds, mostly silent, 

 with remarkable powers of flight, rarely landing except to lay their 

 eggs. Genera about 12 ; species about 70. Closely allied to the 

 Petrels are the Albatrosses (Diomedeidce), huge sea-birds with the 

 nostrils disconnected, not united in a horizontal " double-barrelled 

 tube." These families together constitute the order or suborder of 

 " Tubinares." 



a. Secondaries 13 or more in number. 

 b. Wing long (more than 7). 



c. Partition between nostrils very thin (much narrower than nostril). 

 d. Gonys very slightly if at all concave, shorter than nasal tubes. 



FULMARUS, 338. 

 dd. Gonys very strongly concave, longer than nasal tubes. 



^ESTRELATA, 340. 



cc. Partition between nostrils very thick, as wide as nostril; nostrils 



visible from above PUFFISUSJ 339. 



66. Wings shorter (less than 7). 



e. Tail even or slightly rounded PROCELLARIA, 341. 



ee. Tail slightly forked OCEANODROMA, 342. 



aa. Secondaries 10; tarsus not scutellate; legs long; claws narrow, pointed. 



OCEANITES, 343. 



338. FULMARUS Leach. (Eng. fulmar.) 



669. F. glacialis (L.). FULMAR. Bill stout, nearly half as deep 

 as long ; nasal tubes dusky. Color bluish gray or dusky. L. 18. 

 W. 12. B. Ij. The American bird (var. minor Kjasrb.) considerably 

 smaller. N. Atl., S. to Mass. (Eu.) 



339. PUFFINUS Brisson. (Eng., puffin.) 

 a. Dusky above ; white below. 



6. Wing more than 12. 



670. P. borealis Cory. White of throat shading gradually into 

 dusky of head and neck. L. 21. W. 14. B. 2. Off Mass. 



671. P. major Faber. GREATER SHEARWATER. White of 

 throat separated rather abruptly from dusky of head and neck ; 

 rump with white. L. 20. W. 12. B. 1$. Atlantic, abundant. 



(A*) 



bb. Wing less than 10. 



672. P. auduboni Finsch. Crissum with dusky. L. 11. W. 8. 

 T. 3. B. l. Tropics, N. to N. J. (To John James Audubon.) 

 aa. Duskv below as well as above. 



