ZooL— Vol. II.] LOOMIS— CALIFORNIA WATER BIRDS. 319 



Sterna elegans. Elegant Tern. — It was more sparingly 

 represented than its congener maxwia. No examples were 

 noticed in November. 



Sterna forsteri. Forster's Tern. — Several squads, accom- 

 panying an army of Shearwaters, were seen Sept. 23. 



Diomedea albatrus. Short-tailed Albatross. — Sev- 

 eral dark Albatrosses were observed Sept. 18 and several 

 on the following day, when the equinoctial gale began. A 

 specimen was secured on each occasion, and proved to be 

 this species. After the equinoctial there was a hiatus, 

 broken only by solitary birds on the 23rd, 26th, and 29th 

 of September and on the 2nd and 15th of October. These 

 individuals were in dark attire, with a single exception — a 

 crippled adult, infested with mallophaga. 



Fulmarus glacialis. Fulmar. — Fulmars were noted as 

 follows: Two in September, one in October, several on the 

 6th of November and one on the 7th and one on the nth. 



Puffinus buUeri. Buller's Shearwater. — On the 6th 

 of November, about six miles west of Point Pinos, two 

 white-breasted Shearwaters dashed up to the boat — one a 

 Pink-footed, the other a slender bird without conspicuous 

 mottling on the sides of the head. The first glance revealed 

 that the bird was a stranger. It was only a few yards away 

 and I had to wait a moment for it to pass astern and get 

 within proper range. A successful shot brought it down in 

 perfect condition for a specimen. Dissection proved that 

 it was a female, perhaps a young one, for the ova were 

 indistinct as in a bird that had never bred. 



Upon consulting the literature^ it was found that the spec- 

 imen agreed with the descriptions of Buller's Shearwater, 

 and was the fourth one known to science. The bird had 



1 Puffinus bulleri, Salvin, Ibis, 5th Ser., Vol. VI, 1888, p. 354; Buller, Hist. Birds N. Z., 

 2iid Ed., Vol. II, 1SS8, p. 240, PI. XLI, fig. 2; ibid., Traus. N. Z. Inst., Vol. XXIII, 

 1891, p. 42; ibid.. Vol. XXVI, 1894, p. 198; Salvin, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXV, 

 1896, p. 371. 



Puffimis zcalandicus, Sandager, Trans. N. Z. Inst., Vol. XXII, 1890, p. 291. 



