358 



THE TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS — TUBINARES. 



Thalassogeron culminatus. 



THE YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS. 



JHomcdca culminata, Gould, P. Z. S. July 25, 1843, 107 ; Birds Austral. VII. pi. 41. — Gray, Gen. 



B. 1849, pi. 179. — CouES, Pr. Pliilad. Acad. 1866, 183. — Streets, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. 



no. 7, 1877, 31. — Pidgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 702. 

 Diomedca cklororhijncJws, AuD. Orn. Biog. V. 1839, 326; B. Am. VII. 1844, 196. — Lawr. in 



Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 822 (excl. syn.). — Baird, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 632. 



Hab. " Southern, Indian, and South Pacific Oceans " (Gould, 1. c.) ; casual off the coast of 

 Oregon (Audubon). 



Sp. Char. Adult : Heail and neck light ash-gray, darker immediately in front of the eyes, paler 

 on the throat, and fading into white on the lower surface of the body ; lower eyelid white. Back 

 brownish j)luinbeous, fading gradually into the light ashy of the nape, growing gradually darker 



Adult. 



toward the scapulars, Avhich, with the entire wings, are uniform dark brownish slate, or dusky ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts white ; tail hoary slate-gray, the shafts yellowish white. Shafts of 

 primaries straw-yellow, changing to brown terminally. Bill grayish black, the culmen (abruptly) 

 and the lower part of the mandible yellowish white ; legs and feet dull brownish.^ Young: 

 " Head and neck dark gray ;" the bill " almost uniform brownish black, with only an indication of 

 the lighter color of the culmen" (Gould). 



Wing, 21.00 inches ; culmen, 4.50 ; depth of bill at base, 1.75 ; tarsus, 3.25 ; middle toe, 5.00, 



The individual described by Audubon as the Yellow-nosed Albatross (D. chloro- 

 rhynchos), and said to have been procured by Mr. Townsend near the mouth of the 



1 " Bill black, the culmen horn-color, and the edge of the basal two thirds of the under mandible 

 orange" (Gould, Birds of Australia, pt. vii.). 



"Bill black, with the ridge in its entire length and breadth, the tip of the upper mandible, and the 

 crura of the lower along their inferior edges yellow. Feet yellow, claws yellowish gray " (Audubon). 



