GREY -FACED PETREL. 33 



the outermost entirely white ; fore-part of head, sides of face, throat, and under- 

 surface of body pure white ; maxilla and mandible tipped with black, the middle 

 portion of the bill flesh-coloured, and the base and nares cobalt-blue. The feet are 

 pale flesh colour, the webs washed with yellow, and the claws black. The iris dark 

 brown, and the pupil black. Total length 482 mm. ; culmen 45, wing 340, tail 132, 

 tarsus 49. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 



Nest. At the end of a burrow in the sand. (Kerguelen Island.) 



Egg . Unknown . 



Distribution and forms. Round the Antarctic Circle. No definite subspecies 

 at present recognisable. 



Genus PTERODROMA. 



Pterodroma Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, Vol. XLIL, p. 768, May, 1856. 

 Type (by subsequent designation, Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., p. 137, May 1866) : 

 Procellaria macroptera Smith. 



Large Petrels for this series with short stout black bills, long wings, long tail 

 and stout legs of peculiar coloration. The bill has a short nasal tube, which is less 

 than half the length of the culmen, and almost reaches the base of the unguis, which 

 is very round and sharply hooked ; viewed from in front the nasal aperture appears 

 circular with a thin septum visible inside, separating the nostrils. The development 

 of this tube is quite unlike that of Puffinus, though the result is similar and is a 

 good example of convergence. The latericorns are little expanded and the inside 

 shows no lamellae. The rami of the lower mandible are strong, but little divergent, 

 the interramal space feathered, the powerful unguis not deflected downward as in 

 Puffinus. The wings are long with the first primary longest. The tail is long, 

 somewhat wedge shaped of twelve broad feathers and about two-fifths the length 

 of the wing. The legs are stout, much less compressed than in Puffinus, and the 

 toes are comparatively shorter, the hind-toe being only present as a straight claw. 

 The anterior toes are fully webbed. 



All the birds of the genus are stoutly built and coloration dark above and 

 sometimes also dark below. 



23. Pterodroma macroptera. GREY- FACED PETREL. 



[Procellaria macroptera Smith, Illus. Zool. S. Africa, pt. XL, pi. 52, July 1840: Cape Seas. 

 Extra-limital.] 



Mathews, Vol. II., pt. 2, pi. 83, July 31st, 1912. 



Pterodroma macroptera aThani Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. I., pt. 2, p. 30, April 2nd, 

 1912 : Babbit Island, Albany, West Australia. 



DISTRIBUTION. West and South Australian Seas. 



Adult male. Sooty-black above and below ; fore-head, lores, chin, and throat 

 greyish ; bill and feet black ; iris hazel. Total length 392 mm. ; culmen 36, wing 

 320, tail 135, tarsus 41. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 



Immature. Similar to adult. 



Nestling. Covered with greyish-black down. 



Nest. In large chamber at end of a burrow, lined with a few leaves and grass. 



Egg. Clutch, one ; pure white ; axis 68 mm., diameter 50. 



Breeding -season. June, September. 



Distribution and forms. South Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and South-west 

 Pacific Ocean. Three forms have been indicated : P. m. macroptera (Smith) from 



D 



