PROCELLARIID.E — THE PETRELS — CYMOCIIOREA. 411 



the larger circumference is a faint ring, almost always ap[)arent, of fine reddish 

 dottings. These eggs are quite fragile and delicate, and measure from 1.25 to 1.40 

 inches in length, and from .92 to .95 of an inch in their greatest breadth. The egg 

 of this species is an almost exact miniature of that of Diomedea exuLans. 



Cymochorea melania. 



THE BLACK PETREL. 



Proccllaria melania, Bonap. Compt. Rend. XXVIII. 1854, 662. 



Thalassidronui vielania, Bonap. Consp. II. 1856, 196. 



Cymochorea melania, Coues, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1864, 76 ; Key, 1872, 329 ; Check List, 1873, 



no. 589. 

 Cymochorea mclcena, Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 724. — Coues, 2d Check List, 1882, 



no. 824. 



Hab. South Pacific Ocean, including the coast of Lower California. 



Sp. Char. Adult: Fuliginous-dusky, lighter and browner beneath ; middle and greater wing- 

 coverts and outer webs of tertials light grayish Isrown ; remiges, larger scapulars, and tail, blackish 

 dusky ; upper tail-coverts fuliginous, like the back. Bill, legs, and feet, entirely black. 



•fP,^^^^^' 



Length, about 7.50 inches ; wing, 6.80 ; tail, 3.90, depth of its fork, 1.20 ; culraen, .60 ; tarsus, 

 1.20; middle toe, 1.00. 



I can find no account of the general habits of this species, nor any indication of 

 the area of its distribution or resort. It is said to be a visitor of the coasts of Cali- 

 fornia, Oregon, and Washington Territory ; but so far as can be ascertained, there is 

 no positive evidence of the capture of a single specimen in that region ; certainly not 

 since 1854. Prince Bonaparte, in his Notes on the Birds collected by M. A. Delattse 

 in his Voyage between Nicaragua and California, and in Avhich he first describes this 

 bird as a new species, assumes, apparently Avitliout any evidence, that it belongs to 

 the Californian fauna, and expresses some surprise that it should have escaped pre- 

 vious explorers on that coast. That it should not since have been met with is a strong 

 indication that it does not belong to our fauna. 



Cymochorea homochroa. 



THE ASHY PETREL. 



Cymochorea homochroa, Cotiks, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. March, 1864, 77 (Farallone Islands, coast 

 of California) ; Key, 1872, 329 ; Check List, 1873, no. 590, ed. 2, 1SS2, no. 825. — Riucw. 

 Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 725. 



Thalassidroma melania, Lawr. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 830 (not of Bonap. 1857). — Baikd, 

 Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 643. 



