PROCELLARIID^E — THE PETRELS — PUFFINUS. 



383 



A fine specimen in the collection of Mr. Brasher is mentioned as having been pro- 

 cured near the Narrows. It was taken by a fisherman, who noticed it feeding on the 

 offal of the fish that he was cleaning. Not having any gun, and being desirous of 

 capturing this rare bird, he resorted to the ingenious stratagem of attaching to the 

 end of a line a fish-hook ; and by letting this drift among the offal upon which the 

 bird was feeding, it became fastened to the web, and was thus secured alive. It 

 proved to be a fine adult male. Its stomach contained a few particles of shells, 

 and its boldness had evidently been produced by extreme hunger. 



Mr. Hurdis mentions two instances of the capture of this species in Bermuda. 

 One specimen, alive, was given him by Mr. Downes. It had been found lying 

 on the high road, on the opposite side of Hamilton Water, .Time 2, 1851. It was 

 uninjured, and in perfect plumage. On the same day a second specimen was brought 

 to him by a man who had observed it swimming near the shore ; this also was cap- 

 tured alive. These were the only specimens then known to have been taken in 

 Bermuda. 



Mr. Dresser states that there is no authentic account of the breeding-habits of this 

 Sliearwater, and that the eggs which do duty for it in the cabinets of collectors are 

 almost always those of P. Kuhlii But I think he is mistaken, and that eggs taken 

 by Moravian collectors in Greenland and referred to tliis species are authentic. 



One example given me by Mr. Wilmot, collected on an island of South Green- 

 land, measures 2.88 inches in length by 2.00 in breadth, is nearly oval in shape, 

 has a ground originally white, but which has been soiled by the peaty black earth 

 i'voni which it was excavated. Another egg, collected by a different person at the 

 same locality, is of smaller size, and of a yellowish white ; it measures 2.75 inches 

 by 1.85. 



Pufllnus creatopus. 



THE FINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER. 



Piiffinus crrafopus, " Cooi'Eit (MSS.)," CouES, Pr. Ac. Nat, Sci. Philnd. April, 1864, 131 (Lower Cali- 

 fornia) ; Key, 1872, 331 ; (.'heck List, 1873, no. 598; ed. 2, 1882, no. 833. — Salvin, Ibis, 

 1875, 377 (Juan Fernandez). — Kinow. Noni. N. Am. 13. 1881, no. 710. 



Hah. Coast of Lower California (San Nicolas), 

 south to the Juan Fernandez group of islands. 



Si". Chau. Adult; Above, sooty slate, the 

 liiitlicrs of the dorsal and scapular regions, with 

 distinct terminal margins of paler grayish ; wings 

 darker than the back, the remiges nearly black, 

 as is also tiie tail. Lower parts white, the malar 

 rc^'ion, sides of the throat, and sometimes the 

 anal region indistinctly barred, or transversely 

 .siMittfil, with grayish. Flanks and crissum sooty 

 1,'rayisii. Lining of the wing white, the feathers 

 with dusky sliaft-streaks. Bill pale yellowish 

 iuirii-color or buffy, the ungui horn-gray, and the 

 iidnicn dusky ; legs and feet flesh-color in life, 

 lii^lit brownish in the dried skin. 



Total length, about 19 inches; extent, 45; 

 wiiit;, 12.50-13.25; culmen, 1.60-1.70; depth 

 ot bill through base, .G5-.75 ; tarsus, 2.(»5-2.12 ; 

 luiiliUc toe, 2.15-2.40. 



