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Oedek ANSEEES. 



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[Fam. PEOCELLAEllD^. 



THALASSIDROMA MELANOGASTEE. 



(BLACK-BELLIED STORM-PETREL.) 



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P'^^W m. 



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imu* 



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W^kut I 



'^ fleiuiT '^ ■ 

 ^ ■itiie toe and 



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on in the seas 



^ pirkH up, either dead or 

 e in tLi **-uiner obtained 



^ IiaaI Museums m 



Procellaria grallaria^ Licht. Verz. DoubL p. 83 (1823). 

 Thalassidroma melanogaster^ Gould, Ann. N. H. xiii. p. 367 (1844) 

 Fregetta melanogastra^ Bonap. C. R. xlii, p. 769 (1856). 

 Procellaria melanogastra^ SchL Mus. Pays-Bas, Proc. p. 6 (1863). 



Ad. fuliginoso-brunneus^ tectricibus alarum majoribus pallidius brunnescentibus : gula albo varia, plumis basa- 



liter albis : corporis lateribus^ supracaudalibus^ subalaribus et axillaribus albis : subcaudalibus fiiliginosis 

 albo terminatis : rostro et pedibus nigris : iride nigra. 



Adult, General plumage sooty blacky darker on the wings and tail ; sides of tlie body^ flanks, and long 

 upper tail-coverts pure -white ; some of the under tail-coverts on each side edged with white ; long 

 inner wing-coverts and axillary plumes pure white. Irides black; bill and legs black. Total length 

 9 inches ; wing, from flexure, 6*5 ; tail 3 ; bill, along the ridge '75, along the edge of lower mandible '9 ; 

 bare tibia '75; tarsus 1'5 ; middle toe and claw 1*1. 



Occasional examples of this Storm-Petrel are recorded; and specimens are to be found in the 



Museums 



Mr. Gould, 



March 1840, between the eastern 



New Zealand, observes : — " It is a bird of powerful flight, and pats the surface of the rising- 

 waves more frequently than any other species that came under my notice ; or perhaps the great 

 length of its legs rendered this action more conspicuous. Its habits and general economy are of 

 course very similar to those of the other members of the genus." 



During stormy weather it often follows in the wake of the labouring vessel, and apparently 

 for days together. I observed this myself, in 1856, during a severe gale, experienced off" the 

 Chatham Islands, which lasted nearly a fortnight. These Storm-Petrels followed us day and 

 night ; and it was some relief to the extreme monotony and misery of our situation (for pur vessel 

 was a mere schooner of 80 tons) to watch the movements of these fairy-like beings as they 

 danced among the surging billows, running with fluttering wings in the hollow of the waves, and 

 then hovering over their foaming crests with the lightness of summer butterflies. I' observed 

 that the same individual bird often remained in our wake for considerable distances, without ever 

 resting on the water or changing its course for one moment, its powers of endurance being truly 

 wonderful. 



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