DIUMEDEID.E - THE ALDATIIOSSES — DIOMEDEA. 



355 



Diomedea nigripes. 



THB BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS. 



Diomedea nigripen, AuD. Ora. Biog. V. 1839, 327 J B. Am. VII. 1842, 1!I8. —Cass. Illiistr. I». Ciil. 



Tex. etc. 18.')3, 210, \A. 35. — CouKs, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. I'liiliid. IbflU, 178; Key, 1872, 320; 



Chfik List, 1873, no. 570; cil. 2, 1882, no. 811.— Hiixiw. Noiii. N. Am. It. 1881, no. 7<iO. 

 Dioiiudeti bruchyuru {>i\\\)[)om;il young). Cash. Illustr. U. t'lil. Tex. etc. 1853, 21)1. — Lawii, in 



Ikird's U. N. Am. 1858, 822. 



Had. North Pacific Oieun, indmling tlie west coiwt nf North Aineriin. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Al)ovf, brownish iliiMky, the scaimlurs indistinctly margined terminally 

 with i>uler ; jiriinaries nearly black, tlieir slial'ts clear straw-yellow ; iiiiper tail-coverts and con- 

 cealed base of the tail white. Anterior iiortion ol" the heud and auricular re;;ioii dirty whitish, 

 shading gradiiully into brownish gray, except behind the eyes, where very abruptly deJined against 



Kit 



ber 



.t' 11 



Adult. 



tlie blackish dusky of the sides of the occiput ; lower parts i'uliginons-gray, deepest on the neck, 

 sides, and tianks, fading gradually into white on the crissuni and middle portion of the al)domen. 

 I'.ill dusky purplish brown ; legs and feet black.* Youmj : Similar, but head darker, showing 

 whitish only against the base of the bill, the lower parts entirely uniform smoky gray (darker than 

 in the adult), the ujjper tjiil-coverts dusky, like the rump. 



Total length, 28.5t)-32.5() inches ; e.\tent, 79.50 I wing, 18.50-21.50; culmen, 3.75-4.., 1 ; depth 

 of bill at base, 1.45-1.60 ; tarsus, 3.5t)-3.70 ; middle toe, 4.05-4.40. 



This species was first described by Audulwn from a specimen obtained by Mr. 

 Townsend, Dec. 25, 1834, on the Pacific Ocean, in latitude 50°. Nothing was then 

 known in regard to its habits, and it was supposed by Mr. Cassin to be an immature 



> " Iris umber ; tarsus, foot, base and tip of bill, black ; remainder of bill plumbeous ;" of another 

 specimen, " iris umber or golden brown " (Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 5. pp. 169, 170). 



