396 



TUE TUBE-NOSED SWIMMEUS — TUBINARES. 



CEstrelata FisherL 



FISHEB'S FETBEL. 



(Eslrclala Fiahcri, Ridgw. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. Vol. 5, June 2C, 1883, C5i3 (Kadiiik, Alaska). 



Sp. Char. Adult ? (type; of tliu spucics, No. 89-131, U. S. Nat. Mils. Kiuliak Island, Alaska, 

 June 11, 1882 ; William J. Fishku) ; lleail, neck, and Imvur parts pure wliite, l)ut tliis unvaried 

 only on sides of forehead, lores, malar rej,'i()n, cliin, throat, juHulum, and eiissuni ; feathers oC 

 middle of forehead (lonf,'itudinally) and fore i)art of crown, marked with a central spot of slate-color, 

 the feathers of the hinder part of crown and occiput similarly marked, Imt the spots becoming' 

 fjradually more transverse posteriorly, and, at the sanw time, the lij,'liter borders of the feathers 

 more grayish ; a blackish spot immediately before anil beneath the eye ; sides of breast washed 

 with grayish, and belly and flanks overlaid by a nearly uniform wash of smoky plumbeous, all the 

 feathers being very pure snow-white immediately beneath the surface ; nuuiy of the feathers 

 of the sides barred with plumbeous-gray ; anterior under wing-coverts dark sooty gray or 

 slate-color, the coverts along the outer margin of the under side of the wing mainly of the same 

 color ; rest of wing-lining, with inner webs of primaries, uniform pure white, the (piills having 

 merely a narrow, but abruptly detine<l, dusky stripe next the shaft, the white portion being mar- 

 gined for a short distance along the terminal portion with grayish ; axillars mainly phunbeous, or 

 barivd with the same. Nape, back, scapulars, rump, and upper tail-coverts plumbeous, darkest 

 on the lower part of the rump, the feathers with distinct dusky shaft-streaks, except on tlie nape. 

 Tail white, with very irregular zigzag bars of plumbeous-gray, the middle rectrices mainly gray 

 (the central pair, however, are wanting). Lesser wing-coverts dark slate (many shades darker than 

 the back); greater coverts, secondaries, anil tertials plund)eous-gray, more silvery toward edge of 

 wing, very distinctly edged with pure white ; three outer primaries and primary coverts slate-black, 

 the inner (piills gradually more grayish, and narrowly bordered with white. Bill wlioHy deep 

 black ; tarsi, most of basal phalanx of inner toe, and basal portion of webs, light brownish (flesii- 

 color in life ?)) I't'st ol feet dusky. Wing, lO.l.'i inches; tail, 4.00, slightly graduated ; culmeii, 

 l.(H) ; depth of l)ill at base, .40, width at base, .40 ; tarsus, 1.35 ; middle toe, 1.40. 



This elegant Petrel, probably the handsomest of the genus, belongs to the delicately formed, 

 slender-billed group containing (E. Cnoki, Gray, (E. (javia, FonsT., (E. desolata, G.mel., and 

 (7;^. Di'Jiliiipiana, Gigl. & Salvad. It dilfers from all the allied species, however, in so many 

 marked peculiarities of dimensions and of coloration, that comparison is scarcely needed willi 

 any. To (E. Defdippiana there is some resemblance, but the ditferences are many and striking, as 

 follows : — 



Q] Defilippiana. Lower parts pure white, merely tinged laterally with cinereous ; greater 

 wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertials dusky, edged terminally with grayish ; six midd'i 

 rectrices uniform cinereous, the outer pair with exterior webs uniform white (!). Taisi 

 jiale bluish. Wing, 9.00 inches ; tail, 3.80; culmen, 1.04; tarsus, 1.07; middle toe, 

 with claw, 1.40. Hah. Eastern South Pacific Ocean (o(f coast of Peru), 



(33. FisherL Lower parts overlaid by a wash of .smoky plumbeous, nearly uniform on 

 abdomen and Hanks ; greater wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertial.'-', silvery plumbeous, 

 broadly edged with i)ure white ; only the two middle tail-feathers uniform cinereous, the 

 outer webs of (dl the rest white zigzagly l)arred, or transversely vermiculated with cin- 

 ereous. Tarsi pale browiiLsh (fle.sh-colored in life'?)- Wing, 10,15 inches ; tail, 4.00 ; 

 culmen, 1.00; tarsus, 1.35 ; middle toe, with claw, 1.70. Hub. Eastern North Pacitic 

 Ocean (ofT coast of Alaska). 



The most nearly relattid species with which we have been able to compare the present bird i-; 

 (E rjularia, Peale. The latter, however, is very di.stinct in coloration (agreeing oidy in the 

 color of the under surface of the wing), has the bill much stouter, and the tarsi and toes decidedly 

 shorter. 



