DIOMEDEIDiE — THE ALBATROSSES — DIOMEDEA. 



345 



3. Peleoanoididae. Wings short, and general oppearance decidedly Auk-like. Nasal tubes 

 vertical, the nostrils opening supferiorly. 



The Pelecanoididce are not represented in the North American fauna ; and both the otlier families 

 are known mainly as irregular though ofteu abundant visitors to the coast, and are even occasionally 

 driven by gales far inland. 



Family DIOMEDEID.E. — The Albatrosses. 



The three known genera of this family may readily be distinguished by the 

 following characters : — 



At Sides of the mandible without longitudinal groove. Wing three or more times as long as the 

 short rounded tail. 



1. Diomedea. " Culminicoru " much broadest at the base, where joined closely to tiie 



" lutericorn." 



2. ThalassogeroD (gen. nov.)} "Culminicoru" narrow, and of etjuul width from the 



middle of the culmen to the liase, whei* widely separated from the "latoricorn" by 

 the interposition of a strip of naked skin extending from the nasid tubes to the 

 forehead. Bill much more compressed. 

 B. Sides of the mandible with a deep longitudinal groove, extending the entire length of the 

 lateral lamina. Wing only about twice as long as the graduated or cuneate tail. 



3. PhcBbetiia. In his "Report on the Anatomy of the Petrels" (Zoology of II.M.S. 



" Cliallenger," Vol. IV. p. 57), the late Professor W. A. Forbes says that these " three 

 good genera of Albatrosses . . . may be distinguished, independently of external char- 

 acters, as follows : — 



" Diomedea. Tongue very short ; uncinate bones more or less styliform (Diomedea exulans 

 and brachijura'). 



"Tbalassiarohe [= Thalassogeron]. Tongue intermediate; uncinate bones styliform 

 (Thalassiarchc culminatu). 



"FhcBbetria. Tongue uuiuh longer ; uncinate bones flattened ; hallux Ijetter developed than 

 in tlie other forms, and with an external claw (Phabetria fuliginosa)." 



The typo of ThaUissarche, Reichkniiach, being the Diomedea mdimophrys — a true 

 Dinmetka — it unfortunately becomes necessary to give a new name for tlie genus repre- 

 sented by T. culminata, and we have selected Tludassogeron as lieing an appropriate one. 



Genus DIOMEDEA, Lixx.^us. 



Diomedea, LiN\. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, l?1 ; cd. 12, I. 1706, 214 (type, D. cjtulans, LiNN.). 

 .Ilbalnis, niiiss. Oiii. VI. 1760, 125 (same tyix"). 



Plitrlmslriii, Ki-.KiiKNn. Syst. Av. 18."i2, v (tyin-, TiiomcdM hrachijiirn, Tkmm.). 

 Thalassarehe, Ukiciienb. t. c. v (tyiw, Diomedea melamphrys, Boie). 



f'liAR. Size very large (one species perhaps the largest bird of flight) ; wings extremely long, 

 tlimiij^li very narrow ; sides of the mandible smooth, without a longitudinal groove ; bill nKnle- 

 ratily or slightly compressed, the culmen broad and roundetl ; tail i-ounded, one third ojs long us 

 the tail, or less. 



Tln! Albatrosses are Rtrictly oceanic birds, Avhiih rarely visit tlie land, except at their broeiling- 

 RTounds, which are usually reunite islands or isolated rocks. The sinjcies which have been obtained 

 in North American watei-s are the following : — 



VOL. II. — 44 



> Thalasaogeron {gcii. nov,), OiXaaaa m mare ; iyipui>=scncx. 



^1- 



H.^' 



