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410 



THE TU13E-N()SED SWIM.NfERS — TUIJINAUES. 



Oceanites oceanicus. 



WILSON'S FETBEI.. 



Procdlnria jKlngica, Wii.s. Am. Om. VI. 18(18, DO, pi. 60 (not of Linn.). 



Piocrllaria nccinii a, Knii,, I'citr. Zool. 1820, Monog. Proc. 136, pi. 10, lig. 1. 



'J'/iuliiKsitlroma .cmiiim, (illAV, (ieii. 15. III. 1849. 



Occnnites occanicti., CorEs, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1864, 82 ; Key, 1872, 329 ; Chuck List, 1873, 

 no. 593. — Kimjv. Nom. N. Am. H. 1881, no. 722. 



Occanttcn iiirioikiin, Coi'i:.-*, 2(1 Check List, 1882, no. 828. 



Thii/assidroma iVihoni, Ho.sai'. Joiini. Ac. Nat. Sci. I'hilad. HI. 1823, 231, pi. 9. — Nrrr. Man. II. 

 1834, 324. — Aui). Urn. Itiog. 111. 1835, 486; V. 1839, 645; 15. Am. VII. 1844, 223, pi. 460.— 

 Lawu. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 831. — BaiiU), Cat. N. Am. H. 1859, no. 644. 



IIab. Atlantic Ocenn in general ; Australian seas. 



Sp. Char. Adult : Above, l'uIif,'inous-(lusky, liecnniing hiack on the reniigos and tail, and 

 fading into light brownish gray on the outer surface of the greater coverts and secondaries. Ui)|)cr 



: '*?.• 



tail-coverts (including their extreme tips) and sides of the crissum pure white. Lower parts plain 

 fuli^'inous. 15ill deep black ; lej^s and feet bhick, the webs marked with an oblong central space 

 of yellow. 



Wing, r).7{)-().20 inches; tail, 3.00-3.25; culmen, .45-.50; tarsus, 1.30-1.35; middle toe, .95-1.00. 



The species generally known in the hooks as "Wilson's i'etrel is emi)hatieally a 

 cosmopolite, and seems to he found very nearly over the whole watery expanse of 

 the glohe, in south latitude and in north latitude, and in regions so far remote as 

 almost to warrant the conclusion that it must occur in the intervening spaces, ami 

 that tlie absence of evidence of its presence can by no means be held to be contdusive 

 proof to the contrary. Its breeding-jdaces have been, and to some extent renniin, in 

 doubt. It is especially common tlirougliout the month of August — but at no olhci' 

 time, so far as I am aware — off the coast of North America from Newfoundland to 

 New Jersey, and probably farther south. It keeps close to the shore, comes into tlw 

 moi-e open bays and harbors, and is readily attracted to the vicdnity of vessels in 

 quest of food. Eggs purporting to belong to this species, said to have been taken 

 near Madcnra, were received by Mr. Frere, of London. 



According to Mr. Godman, this species is abundant and resident about the Azores, 

 where its local name is Alma de Mest.re. On his return from Flores to Fayal, beinu' 

 becalmed for several hours, and there being a great many Petrels flying about, Jlr. 

 Godman went out in a boat and shot several. They proved to be all of this spticics. 

 In flying, these birds carried their legs stretched out behind them, and their feet pn'- 

 truding an inch beyond their tail — producing the effect of two long feathers. Hi' 

 could not ascertain with ])ositive certainty that this species breeds in tliis grou]) of 

 islands, but as it is abundant there throughout the year, he has no doubt that this i-* 

 the case. 



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