PROCELLARIID^ — THE PETRELS — (ESTRELATA. 393 



Ocean, but is much lighter colored beneath, P. nativitatis being dark fuliginous below, only a few 

 shades paler than the upper parts. The proportions are also quite different. 



This species appears to be exclusively an inhabitant of the North Pacific coasts. 

 Mr. Dall refers to it as the " Seal Bird," and states that a specimen, a perfect skin, 

 was bought of Isaac Koliak, an Eskimo of great intelligence, who informed him that 

 he had bought it at Kotzebue Sound, when on a visit, having never himself seen such 

 a bird on Norton's Sound. The man of Avhom this bird was purchased said that it 

 was called Minklok tbujinyyik, or " Seal-bird," as it is only found with the seals, and 

 follows them in their migrations. 



Examples of this species are stated by Mr. Cassin to have been taken off the coast 

 of Japan, near the eastern shore of Niphon, in lat. 36° N. ; and IMessrs. Blakiston 

 and Fryer mention another example obtained after a typhoon at Yoshino, Tamato, 

 the nearest sea being forty miles distant. It had been struck down by a Hawk. 

 It agreed with the figure in the "Fauna Japonica." Its local name is given as 

 Uniikamome. Nothing is known in regard to its distribution, numbers, habits, or 

 breeding-place. 



Genus CESTRELATA, Bonaparte. 



Acdrclata, Bonap. Consp. II. 1856, 188 (type, Procellaria hasitata, Kuiil). 

 Cookilaria, Bonap. Consp. II. 1856, 190 (type, Procellaria Cookii, GPtAV). 

 Plcrodroma, Bonap. Consp. II. 1856, 191 (type, Procellaria macroptcra, Smith). 



Char. Bill about as long as, or shorter than, the tarsus, very deep, and much compressed ; 

 ungui very large, occupying nearly the terminal half of the bill ; nasal case very short (less than 

 one third as long as the unguis). 



The species of CEstrelata are very numerous (about twenty being known at the present time), 

 but only three of them are recorded from North American waters. They are the following : — 



1. CE. haesitata. Adult (?) : Forehead, sides of head, neck (all round), entire lower parts, 



upper tail-coverts, and base of tail white ; upper parts and patch on top of head dusky, 

 and side of head with a blackish bar. Young (?) : White much more restricted, immacu- 

 late only on forehead, lores, and median lower parts (the latter even sometimes more or 

 less mixed with dusky) ; nape and sides of neck, with upper tail-coverts, white only 

 beneath the surface. Bill black ; iris brown ; tarsi and basal third, or more, of toes, 

 with webs, yellowish in dried skins (flesh-color in life?). Wing, 11.70-12.00 inches; 

 tail, 5.50-5.75, graduated for about 1.50-2.30 ; culmen, 1.20-1.45 ; depth of bill at base, 

 .52-68 ; tarsus, 1.35-1.40 ; middle toe, 1.50, or more. Hob. Warmer parts of Atlantic 

 Ocean, straying north to Florida, France, and England. Sandwich Islands ? 



2. CE. Fisheri. Adult: Above, silvery plumbeous, with a distinctly darker (Ijlackish slate) 



area on lesser wing-covert region ; greater and middle Aving-coverts and tertials plum- 

 beous-gray, very distinctly edged with white ; outer primaries and their coverts blackish 

 slate, the inner ones gradually more plumbeous ; tail-feathers transversely vermiculated 

 with white and gray, the middle feathers uniform plumbeous-gray. Lores, chin, throat, 

 jugulum, and crissum immaculate white ; forehead and crown white, spotted with dusky ; 

 abdomen, flanks, and breast smoky plumbeous on the surface, luit pure white immediately 

 beneath, this white showing through in places ; a distinct dusky spot inunediatejy before 

 and beneath the eye ; middle portion of wing-lining and inner webs of primaries pure 

 white, the hitter with a distinct blackish stripe next the shaft. Bill black ; iris brown ; 

 legs flesh-color (?), pale brownish in dried skin ; toes dusky, the basal third of inner web 

 and basal phalanx of inner and middle toes pale-colored. Wing, 10.15 inches ; tail, 4.00, 

 its graduation, .75 ; culmen, 1.00; depth of bill at base, .40; tiirsus, 1.35 ; middle toe, 

 with claw, 1.70. Hah. Off coast of Alaska (Kadiak). 

 VOL. II. — 50 



