130 ON BIRDS FROM THE SAMOAN ISLANDS. [Feb. 4, 



4. Fregetta mcestissima, sp. n. 



Omnino fuligmoso-mgrescens, alls et cauda nigricantiorihns ; 

 alis longissimis, cauda valde furcata ; rectricibus latissimis ; 

 tarsis elongatis ; digitis fere cequalibus, phalangibus proxi- 

 mis complanatis. Long, tota 9 5, alee 9"1, caudx rectr. med. 

 32, lat. 4-2, tarsi 1-9, dig. med. cum ungue 1'3, rostri a rictu 

 0-9. 



Hah. Samoan Islands {T. Powell). 



Obs. Species F. melanogastrce congenerica, sed ab omnibus ves- 

 titu unieolori nigrescente distinguenda. 



In the 'Proceedings' of last year (P. Z. S. 18/7, p. 722) Dr. Finsch 

 described a Petrel under the name of ProceUaria albogularis from 

 the Fiji Islands, which is evidently a near ally of the present bird. 

 This bird, however, differs in having the chin, belly, and upper tail- 

 coverts white, and in some other respects. Of Dr. Finsch's bird I 

 have before me a specimen obtained in Aneiteuni, New Hebrides, as 

 long ago as January 1860, I believe by the late John Macgillivray. 

 Curiously enough, it bears the MS. name albogularis, selected for it 

 by Dr. Finsch seventeen years subsequently. The native name given 

 in Aneiteum to this bird is " Nichitterin," as the label records. 



A similar specimen is in the British Museum, and another in the 

 Leydeu Museum. In both places the birds are referred to Procel- 

 aria tropica, Gould ; and all references to P. tropica from the Pacific 

 Ocean apply to it. But Fregetta albogularis is considerably larger 

 than P. tropica, and has a more deeply forked tail than that bird, 

 besides the tail-feathers themselves being much wider. It is doubtful 

 whether P. tropica, the original specimens of which were obtained 

 by Mr. Gould himself in the Atlantic Ocean, is really separable from 

 F. melanogastra. Mr. Sharpe has already united them under the 

 former name (Trans.-Venus Exp. Birds, p. 30.) The following 

 references relate to Dr. Finsch's ProceUaria albogularis: — 



ProceUaria tropica, Bp. C. R. xli. p.^J* (nee Gould). Hi2. 



Fregetta tropica, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 197 (nee Gould). 



ProceUaria tropica, Schl. Mus. P. B., Procell. p. 4. 



Fregetta tropica, Coues, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1864, p. 8.5 (? partim). 



"ProceUaria torquata, Macgill.," G. R. Gray, Hand-list, iii. 

 p. 104 (nee Macgill.!). 



Thalassidroma albogularis, Macgill. MS. 



ProceUaria albogularis, Finsch (mot. prop.!), P. Z. S. 1877, 

 p. 722. 



Oceanites tropica, Sharpe, Trans.-Venus Exp. p. 30 (partim). 



The native name of Fregetta mcestissima in Samoa is Seu-ta-peau ; 

 and of its habits Mr. Powell says : — "They often float on the sea in 

 great numbers. They inhabit all the islands of the group, but are 

 most abundant on Manua. They. sleep in holes under the trunks of 

 trees at an elevation of 2500 feet, whence they are taken with dogs, 

 which scent them. They are easily extracted from their holes." 



