( H6 ) 

 DUSKY ALBATROSS. 



DiOMEDEA FUSCA. 



PLATE CCCCVII. Adult. 



The skin from which I made my drawing of this species was pre- 

 pared by Dr Townsend, who procured the bird near the mouth of the 

 Cohimbia River. Of its habits or distribution I am entirely ignorant. 

 Having failed in finding any figure or description of an Albatross agree- 

 ing entirely with it, I have been induced to consider it as new. 



DiOMEDEA FUSCA. 



Adult. Plate CCCCVII. 



Bill longer than the head, nearly straight, stout, much compressed. 

 Upper mandible with its dorsal outline straight and declinate until 

 about one-third of its length, when it becomes a little concave, and 

 along the unguis curves in the third of a circle, the ridge narrow, 

 pointed at the base, separated in its whole length by a groove margined 

 below by a prominent line from the sides, which are erect and convex, 

 the edges sharp, the unguis decurved, strong, and sharp. Nostrils sub- 

 basal, prominent, tubular, having a horny sheath, and placed rather 

 nearer the ridge than the margin. Lower mandible with the angle 

 narrow, reaching to the tip, and having at its extremity a slender in- 

 terposed process ; the outline of the crura gently ascending, and nearly 

 straight, towards the end a little deflected, the sides ascending and a 

 little convex, with a groove in their whole length as far as the unguis, 

 filled by a membrane, which is wider at the base, the edges sharp, the 

 tip compressed, its upper edges decurved. 



Head rather large ; neck of moderate length, body full. Feet rather 

 short, stoutish ; tibia bare for an inch, covered all round with small 

 angular scales ; toes three, long, slender, the two outer a little shorter 

 than the middle, the inner considerably shorter ; they are covered above 

 with small angular scales at the base, in the rest of their extent with 

 scutella, and connected by emarginate webs, the outer and inner with 

 an external membrane. Claws rather small, slender, slightly arched, 

 rather depressed, convex above, somewhat obtuse. 



