STORMY PETREL. 263 



Kilda, but which the former found diffused over a great part of 

 the Atlantic, east of the Banks of Newfoundland; and thirdly, 

 the species of our coasts. He also indicates a fourth, which in- 

 habits the Pacific ocean; but whether or not this last be in rea- 

 lity a species different from those named, has not yet been de- 

 termined. * 



" When I first procured this species," says Mr. Bonaparte, 

 "I considered it a nondescript, and noted it as such; the cita- 

 tion of Wilson's pelagica, among the synonymes of the truepe- 

 lagica, by the most eminent ornithologist of the age, M. Tem- 

 minck, not permitting a doubt of their identity. But having an 

 opportunity of inspecting the very individual from which Wil- 

 son took his figure, and drew up his description, I was unde- 

 ceived, by proving the unity of my specimens with that of Wil- 

 son, and the discrepancy of these with that of Temminck. The 

 latter had certainly never seen an individual from America, 

 otherwise the difference between the two species would not 

 have eluded the accurate eye of this naturalist. I propose for 

 this species the name of Wilsonii, as a small testimony of 

 respect to the memory of the author of the American Ornitho- 



* Charles Bonaparte, Prince of Musignano, has recently established this 

 species under the name of Procellaria Oceanica; and assigns to it the follow- 

 ing essential characters. Tail slightly emarginate, the icings when closed 

 extending more than an inch beyond its tip; length of the tarsiis nearly one 

 inch and three quarters (eighteen French lines.) 



We extract from his paper, in the Zoological Journal the following ob- 

 servations: "In comparing this species (P. oceantco) to the three others 

 (P. pefag-ica, P. Leachii, and P. Wilsonii), it will be seen that it is the largest 

 and the most varied with white of the subgenus, and that it can be con- 

 founded only with P. fFi/sotm, to which it bears a strong resemblance in 

 shape and colour, both having the tarsi greatly elongated, the tube of the 

 nostrils equally recurved, the upper tail-coverts entirely white, &.c. But 

 in addition to its much greater size, proportionally longer bill and tarsi, and 

 lighter colour, this new species may at first sight be distinguished from it 

 by its wings extending so much beyond the tail, and by the want of the 

 yellow spot on the interdigital membrane, which is found in P. Wilsonii 

 only." J. IL 



