352 



THE TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS — TUBINARES. 



Had. Pacific Ocean, incUnling the western const of America, especially northwnnl to Aleuliun 

 and Pry bilof Islands, and liebring'a Sea. 



Si'. Chah. Adult : Prevailing color white, the top and sides of the head, with nape, strongly 

 tinged with bright straw-yellow. Longer scapnlurs, tertials, primaries, and tail-feathers slaty 

 brown, the shafts of the primaries bright straw-yellow ; anterior and lower lesser wing-coverts, 

 lower middle and greater coverts, with secondaries, hoary brownish gmy. Bill grayish white (in 



Youn;;. 



skins), the maxillary nnguis more yellowish, the mandible pnrplish brownish ; ' legs nnd feet 

 giayish dusky. Yuuwi : Unifonn sooty grayish brown, the pileuni and nape darker (nearly 

 black) ; shafts of primaries bright straw-yellow. Bill pale horn-yellow (in skin) ; legs and feet 

 grayish brown. 



Total length, about 33.00 inches ; extent, 84.00-88.00 ; wing, 21.00-23.00 ; culmen, 5.19-5.(50 ; 

 depth of bill through base, 1.95-2.05 ; tarsus, 3.80-4.00 ; middle toe, 4.C5-4.90. 



The Short-tailed Albatross is presumed to inhabit the entire extent of the Pacific 

 Ocean, from the northern coast of America and Asia to Australia, venturing farther 

 north than any oV. iv species of its genus. It was ascertained by the naturalists of 

 tlie Wilkes Expedition to be of frequent occurrence on the coasts of Oregon and 

 California, and is given by Mr. Gould as a bird of Australia. It has been occasionally 

 mistaken for the X>. exulans, which it resembles, but is smaller, though larger than 

 any of the other species of this genus. 



Mr. Peale states that great numbers of this Albatross were observed on the north- 

 west coast of America, and that it was found to vary as much in its coloration as 

 />. cxiilans, and even more than that species, requiring many years to acquire its 



* " nill flesh-color, with n fuint puritlish tinge; hook light horn-color; iris bruwu" (Bean, Proc. 

 U. S. Nat. Mas., Vol. 5, p. 170). Eyelids greenish white (Gould). 



