Petrels of the Kermadec .Group. 435 



a powerful seagoing bird, whilst tlie CEstreluta is hardly a 

 wanderer at all. 



The bird identified as Pterodroma brevipes Peale is now in 

 the British Museum, and does not belong to that species. 



I have stated that God man's acceptance of all the 

 Kermadec forms as referable to one species, did not seem 

 due to skilful judgment, as in the same place two species 

 are admitted from South Trinidad Island, viz. (^. armin- 

 joniana Giglioli & Salvadori and Q^. trinitatis ibid. Tlie only 

 difference between these two species is that the latter is a 

 uniform dark bird with wholly black legs, whilst the former 

 is a variable coloured bird with sandalled legs. I have 

 shown this character (of the coloration of the legs) to be 

 absolutely valueless in connection with the Kermadec birds, 

 and my examination of South Trinidad birds confirms me in 

 the same conclusion. 



As a matter of fact, the only differences apparent between 

 the South Trinidad birds and the Kermadec ones, is that the 

 former have slightly shorter toes and the latter have white 

 shafts to the primaries, whilst the South Trinidad birds have 

 dusky shafts. I might note that immature Kermadec birds 

 have also dusky shafts. Mr. Grant lays great stress upon 

 the latter character to decide the identity of the British 

 specimen. I think that further investigation will show that 

 white-shafted birds occur in the Atlantic. The British 

 specimen is set up, but it certainly seems to me to have the 

 short toes of the South Trinidad form. 



Under the circumstances I think I am perfectly justified 

 in advising the non-inclusion of (Estrelata neglecta in the 

 British List. 



Before leaving the subject I would draw attention to 

 Hutton^s proposed solutions to the problem of the variation 

 of this species ,• — 



{a) Two distinct species, sometimes producing hybrids. 



{h) One excessively variable species, one form producing, 



or partially producing, in an irregular way, the other, 



(c) Two species developed by ordinary variation going on 



for a long time, while the intermediate forms have 



not become extinct. 



