364 



TPIE TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS — TUBINARES. 



Hab. Southerii oceans ; casual off the coast of Oregon. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Head, neck, and lower parts, white ;> upper parts plain fuliginous-slate, 

 the feathej-s, particulaily the scapulars, sometimes indistinctly tipped with lighter. Bill yellow ; 



Dark phase. 



legs and feet yellowish or dusky. Young ? : Uniform dark fuliginous-slate, sometimes with whitish 

 feathers around base of the bill. Bill more olivaceous. 2 



Total length, about 3 feet ; extent, about 7 ; wing, 17.00 to 21.00 inches; culmen, 3.50-4.00 ; 

 tarsus, 3.50 ; middle toe, without claw, 4.50-4.70. 



Audubon states that a specimen of this enormous Petrel was shot at some distance 

 from the mouth of Columbia River, and sent to him by Mr. Townsend. Its great size 

 gave to it, at first sight, the appearance of an Albatross. By some sailors it is said 

 to be known by the name of '' Mother Carey's Goose." In the Report of the Wilkes 

 Expedition it is spoken of as the " Giant Petrel." It was frequently observed during 

 the voyage of that Expedition, and its claim to be regarded as one of the birds of 

 North America is confirmed by the collection of specimens on the coast of Oregon. 

 Since this species is much larger than its immediate relatives in this group, it would 

 seem as if it was more nearly allied to the Albatrosses than to the Fulmars. So far, 

 however, as its manners and habits are known, they vary but little from those of the 

 Fulmars. 



The occurrence of this bird is frequently referred to by Dr. Pickering in his Journal 

 of the Events of the United States Exploring Expedition. On the morning of Feb. 13, 

 1839, an example of this large Fulmar was captured ; but the locality is not given. 

 He states that an individual of this species had been seen occasionally since the 15th 

 of January, when the Expedition was in latitude 39° 5', in the Atlantic Ocean ; but 

 at first it was mistaken for an Albatross. In size it was equal to a Goose, its total 

 length being two feet, five inches, and its expanse of wing six feet. Its iris was 

 lake-brown. It was captured alive ; and when placed on deck, could run or stand for 

 a few moments without expanding its wings, but was apparently very soon fatigued 

 with such exertion, and almost immediately assumed a sitting position, like that 



1 According to Dr. Cmies (see Pr. Philad. Acad. 1866, p. 32) some .specimens are "pure white all over, 

 even to the wings and tail ; tlie continuity of the white only interrupted by a few isolated brown feathers 

 sparsely scattered at irregular intervals over the body." 



2 Audubon describes tlie bill and feet of a specimen in the uniform dark-brown plumage as yellow ; 

 while a male (age not stated) from Tom Bay, Patagonia, is thus described by Mr. Sharpe (Proc. Zool. 

 See. Lend., 1881, p. 11) : " Bill light gray ; iris dark brown ; eyelids black ; legs and feet dark gray." 



