* 



Ordee ANSERES.] 



[Fam. rEOCELLARIIDJE. 



PEOCELLAEIA CINEEEA. 



(BROWN PETREL.) 



Ad. 



Cinereous Fulmar, Lath. Gen. Syn. ii. pt. 2, p. 405 (1785). 

 Procellaria cinerea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 563 (1788, ex Lath.). 

 Procellaria hcesitata, Forster, Descr. An. p. 208 (1844). 

 Procellaria hasitata, Gould, B. Austr. fol. pi. 47 (1848). 

 Priofinus cinereus, Bonap. C. R xlii. p, 769 (1856). 

 Adamastor typus, Bonap. Consp. Av. ii. p. 187 (1857). 

 Puffinus cinereus, Lawr. B. of N. Am. p. 835 (1860). 

 Puffinus lulilii, Cass. Pr. Phil. Acad. 1862, p. 327. 

 Procellaria adamastor, Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, Proc. p. 25 (1863). 



suprk cinerascenti-brunneus, dorsi plumis et supracaudalibus pallidiore brunneo terminatis : remigibus 

 et rectricibus brunnescenti-nigris : facie et colli lateribus obscure cinerascentibus brunneo variis : 

 subtiis albus, pectoris lateribus brunneo lavatis : rostro flavo, versiis apicem nigricante : pedibus sordide 

 flavis : iride nigra. 



Adult. 



Crown of the head, back of the neck, and all the upper surface greyish brown, the feathers of the back 

 and the upper tail-coverts edged with paler brown ; the face and sides of the neck dusky grey mottled 

 with brown ; throat, fore neck, and all the underparts pure white, stained on the sides of the breast with 

 brown ; quills and tail-feathers brownish black. Irides black ; bill yellow, stained towards the tips with 

 black; legs and feet dull yellow. Total length 30 inches; wing, from flexure, 13-25; tail 5-5; bill, 

 following the curvature of upper mandible 2-5, from gape to extremity of lower mandible 2-5 '; 

 tarsus 2; middle toe and claw 2-6. 



Captain Hutton states that this species is " very common on the coast ;" but I have never myself 

 seen a specimen in New Zealand, nor do the local museums contain any. That it is extremely 

 abundant, however, in certain latitudes may be inferred from the following notice of this species 

 in Darwin's ' Voyage of a Naturalist : '— " I do not think I ever saw so many birds of any one sort 

 together as I once saw of these behmd the island of Chiloe. Hundreds of thousands flew in an 

 irregular line for several hours in one direction. When part of the flock settled on the water the 

 surface was blackened, and a noise proceeded from them as of human beings talking in the 

 distance." 



2s 



