30 



BIRDS OF KERGUELEN ISLAND. 



only another instance of the tendency, which so often causes mortifica- 

 tion and chagrin to the collector, to postpone those objects which are 

 familiar and common for others mistakenly supposed to be rare and 

 urgent. As Dr. Hooker has so feelingly said, " These are, however, 

 questions which propose themselves to us in the closet only, when the 

 prospect of solving them is gone by; and when they but add to the 

 thousand regrets over lost opportunities, the remembrance of which 

 weighs so heavily on the mind of every naturalist that the brightest pros- 

 pects of discovery in the fair future can never obliterate them." — Flora 

 Antarctica, vol. ii, p. 465. 



Perhaps the disappearance of these birds about the end of October 

 may be explained on the supposition that they are really rare in the 

 locality under consideration ; but that we had, in selecting a station, 

 stumbled upon one of their nesting-places, and actually dug up nearly 

 or quite the entire community. 



OCEANITES OOEANIOA, [Kulil) Coues. 

 Wilson's Stoemy Petrel. 



Pi-ocellaria pelagica, Wilson, Amer. Ornitb. vi, 1808, p. 90, pi. 60, fig. 6, nee auct. 

 Procellaria oceanica, Kuhl, Beit, zur Kenat. Proc. 1820, p. 136, pi. 10, f. 1. 



Bonaparte, Journ. Phila. Acad, iii, 1824, p. 233. 

 Thalassidroma oceanica, Gray, G. of B. iii, 1849, p. — . 

 Ocmnites oceanica, Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1864, p. 82. 

 Frocellaria wilsoni, Bonaparte, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. iii, 1824, p. 231, pi. 8, f. 3, 



3% and pi. 9, lower fig. 

 Thalassidroma wilsoni of many authors. 



Oceanites wilsoni. Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Europ. ii, 1840, p. 238. 

 Bonaparte, Consp. Av. ii, 1856, p. 199. 



I have looked at a great many "Wilson's Petrels" from various parts of the world 

 without baviag been able to see any difference between them. In any event, the bird 

 here presented is the original " oceanica " of Banks, Kuhl, &c. — it is the other one, 

 wilsoni Bp., 1824, which is to be cut away from this one, if any division is attempted- 

 Bonaparte has the thing hind part before in his Conspectus. — C. 



List of specimens, with measurements. 



,^ 































.a 



























.5 s 



S 

 s 

 a 





















o 





Kemarks. 































g c 









.a 



^i 











(C 



o 



ja 





J3.2 



11 



o 





M 



^ 



n 



a 



a 



"3 



H 



s 



1 

 W 



a 



a 

 H 



ii 



a 

 o 









1874. 

























6P03:! 



209 



Dec. 30 



r^ 



6. 15 



14.03 



5. 3.5 



2. .50 



0. 55 



0. 85 



1.30 



0.85 



0.25 



Skin. 



(38il32 



210 



Dec. 30 



? 



6. ."iO 



14.50 



5 60 



2.60 



0.60 



0.95 



1.35 



1 00 



0.25 



Do. 



Bill black. 

 Iris black. 



