Order ANSERES.] [Fast. PROCELLARIID.E. 



PROCELLARIA CJERULEA. 



(BLUE PETREL.) 



Blue Petrel, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. pt. 2, p. 415 (1785). 

 Procellaria ccerulea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 560 (1788, ex Lath.). 

 Pachyptila ccerulea, Illiger, Prodr. p. 275 (1811). 

 Procellaria similis, Forst. Descr. Anim. p. 59 (1844). 

 Procellaria forsteri, Smith, IU. Zool. S. Afr. pi. 411 (1849). 

 Halobcena cosrulea, Bonap. C. R xlii. p. 768 (1856). 

 Fulmarus c&ruleus, Gray, Hand-1. of B. iii. p. 107 (1871). 



Ad. supra clare cinereus, pileo summo brunnescente lavato : tectricibus alarum minimis et ala spuria brunnesccn- 

 tibus : remigibus extus brunnescenti-cinereis, intus albis, secundariis clarius ciuercis : Cauda obscure 

 cinerea albo terminate, rectrice extima albicante : fronte, loris, supercilio indistincto, facie laterali et 

 corpore subtus toto albis, pectoris superioris lateribus et hypocbondriis imis cinereis : rostro rufescenti- 

 brunneo, culmine et apice saturatioribus : pedibus flavicauti-albidis : iride nigra. 



Adult. Upper surface pale ashy grey, darker on the scapulars and washed on the crown of the head with 

 brown ; the whole of the small wing-coverts as well as the primary coverts greyish brown ; forehead, 

 sides of the face, an indistinct line over the eyes, the throat, fore neck, and all the under surface pure 

 white, stained on the sides of the breast and on the lower part of flanks with ashy grey ; outer primaries 

 greyish brown, with black shafts, whitish on their inner webs ; inner primaries and secondaries dark grey 

 on their outer webs ; middle tail-feathers greyish brown, largely tipped with white, the lateral ones 

 uniform dark grey, and the outermost one on each side entirely white. Irides black; bill reddish 

 brown, darker on the ridge and at the tips ; legs and feet yellowish white, with brown claws. Length 

 11*5 inches; wing, from flexure, 8 - 5 ; tail 3"5 ; bill, following curvature of upper mandible 1'3, from 

 gape to extremity of lower mandible 1"4; tarsus 1*2; middle toe and claw l - 6. 



Theke is only one specimen of this Petrel in the Auckland Museum ; and it does not occur, so far 

 as I am aware, in any other collection in the colony. Mr. Gould, however, states that he found 

 it " very abundant off the north-east coast of New Zealand " in May 1840, and that he observed 

 it in every part of the ocean he traversed between the 40th and 55th degrees of south latitude, 

 both in the Atlantic and Pacific. 



