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THALASSIDROMA PELAGICA— LINN. 



LEAST PETREL. 



Stormy Petrel, Thalassidroma pelagica, Nuttall. 

 Least Petrel, Thalassidroma pelagica, Audubon. 



Specific Character- -Bill and feet black, from the frontlet feathers 

 3-8ths of an, inch, tarsi 3-4ths ; upper parts grayish-black; lower parts 

 sooty brown ; " mda y coverts tipped with white; the rump and 

 upper tail : r br adl tipped with white, the latter black; tail 

 slightly rounded ; webs who!!}' black. Length six inches, wing 

 four and five-eighths 



This, the smallest of the Petrels, is cl< elj allied to Wilson's Pe- 

 trel, bet! in 1 abit; and plumage ; it differs from thai species in being 

 about one inch and a half less in length, and also in the absence of 

 the yelk . pc ■. the webs, and having the entire lower parts sooty 

 brown. The Least Petrel is said to breed en the Orkneys and He- 

 brides, on the cliffs. The eggs are two. Nei uncommon on the 

 banks of Newfc i ndland and not observed to breed on the Ameri- 

 can coast. — Audubon. 



GENUS MORMON ILLIGER. 



PUFFIN. 

 [Bill about the length of the head, extremely compressed, as high as long ; 

 head large ; neck short, thick ; body full ; wings short ; tail short, slightly 

 rounded, of sixteen feathers ; tarsi and feet short- -the latter rather strong, 

 >md placed far behind the centre of the body.] 



MORMON ARCTICUS— LINN. 



COMMON OR ARCTIC PUFFIN. 



Mormon Arcticus, Bonap. Syn 

 Puffin, Mormon Arcticus, And. Orn. Biog. 

 Puffin, or Coulternabe, Nuttall. 



Specific Character — Bill about the length of the head ; at the base 

 very high, becoming gradually reduced to a point ; anterior to the 

 nostrils much compressed, with three distinct curved grooves on both 

 mandibles, the ridge of both and basal rim of upper, dull yellow ; ante- 

 rior to the nostrils red ; the rest part blue. Adult male with the up- 

 per part of the head, hind neck, and a broad collar passing round 



