PROCELLARID^E, 359 



presented to the South African Museum by Lieutenant-Commander 

 L. A. Beardslee, of U. S. Navy, and captured on board his ship, 

 the U. S. Steamer Aroostook, about 300 miles to the westward of the 

 Cape, May, 1867. 



665. Thalassidroma Wilsoni, Pr. Bonap. 



GENERAL colour throughout, brownish-black ; rump and 

 thighs white ; legs and feet black ; webs between the toes 

 yellow, edged with black ; irides black. Length, 7"; wing, 

 6"; tail, 2J". 



The accompanying description is from a specimen killed in Table 

 Bay on the 29th April, 1865, by my son, who informs me that he saw 

 several more of the same species. I procured several specimens off 

 L'Agulhas Bank in 1856, since which time, until my son found it in 

 Table Bay, I had not seen them on the coast. 



In habits they resemble the preceding species, with which they 



i j /i * jl 1 __!_ _ J ,1 1 "J-,, XI 



appearance of dirty lard. 



666. Thalassidroma Oceanica, Temm. 



GENERAL colour of plumage, soot- colour ; quill- feathers ap- 

 proaching to black ; edges of the secondaries whitish ; rump 

 and vent white ; four outer tail-feathers white on the inner 

 webs, at the base ; bill and legs black ; eye dark-brown. 

 Length, 6"; wing, 5"; tail, 1" 9'". 



A few of these Petrels appeared in Table Bay in company with 

 T. Wilsoni in the month of May, 1865. Specimens of each were pro- 

 cured by myself and my son. I had never previously seen either of 

 them so near inshore. 



Genus PROCELLARIA, Linn. 



Bill as long as or shorter than the head, more or less broad 

 at the base (varying in the sexes) ; the sides more or less 

 compressed towards the tip, which is more or less compressed, 

 much elevated and arched, lengthened, and acute ; the lower 

 mandible shorter than the upper, with the tip and gonys 

 arched and acute ; the nostrils tubular, horny, varying in 

 length from one-fourth to nearly two- thirds of the length of 

 the bill, with the aperture single, frontal, and crescent- 

 shaped ; wings long, pointed, with the first quill the longest ; 

 tail moderate, rounded, or wedge-shaped ; legs with the 

 apical part of the thigh hardly naked ; tarsi shorter than the 

 middle toe, laterally compressed^ and covered with small 

 scales ; toes long, with the outer as long as the middle one, 

 the inner shortest, and all united by a full web ; the lateral 

 toes margined exteriorly, the hind toe in the shape of a large 

 subtriangular claw. 



