Osdeb ANSERES.] [Fam. PROCELLAEIID.E. 



THALASSIDROMA FREGATA. 



(WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL.) 



Procellaria fregata, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 212 (1766). 



Frigate Petrel, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. pt. 2, p. 410 (1785). 



Procellaria marina, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 826 (1790). 



Thalassidroma marina, Gray, Voy. Ereb. and Terror, Birds, p. 17 (1844), 



Thalassidroma hypoleuca, Moquin-Tandon, Orn. Canar. p. 45 (c. 1850). 



Pelagodroma marina, Reich. Syst. Av. p. iv. (1852). 



Pelagodroma fregata, Bonap. C. R. xlii. p. 769 (1856). 



Ad. supra cinerascenti-fuliginosus, pileo saturatiore : uropygio imo et supracaudalibus clarius cineraceis : 

 tectricibus alarum brunnescentibus, raajoribus pallidioribus : remigibus et rectricibus brunnescenti- 

 nigris : fronte cum supercilio distincto, facie laterali et corpore subtus toto albis : pluniis circumocula- 

 ribus et regione auriculari cinerascenti-fuliginosis : collo laterali, hypochondriis imis et subcaudalibus 

 clarius cineraceis : rostro nigro : pedibus nigris, palmis flavicantibus : iride saturate rufescenti-nigra. 



Adult. Crown of tbe bead, nape, and a broad patcb from the under margins of the eyes spreading over the 

 ear-coverts sooty grey; upper surface sooty brown, darker on the wings, and changing to a light grey 

 on the upper tail-coverts ; forehead, streak over the eyes, face, throat, and all the underparts pure 

 white, shading into grey on each side of the breast ; quills and tail-feathers brownish black, the former 

 greyish white on their inner webs. Irides dark reddish brown ; bill black ; legs and feet black, the 

 webs yellowish. Total length 8 inches ; wing, from flexure, 6 ; tail 3 ; bill, following the curvature of 

 upper mandible "65, length of lower mandible - 75 ; bare tibia '85 ; tarsus 1"5 ; middle toe and claw 1:4. 



The White-faced Storm-Petrel appears to have a wide range over the southern ocean. It is not 

 so plentiful, however, off the New Zealand coast as the preceding species, although the habits of 

 the two birds appear to be precisely alike. Mr. Gilbert discovered it building in some of the 

 small islands lying off Cape Leuwin, in South Australia, in December ; and he met with young 

 birds, almost ready to leave their holes, on East Wallaby Island, a month later. Its egg is de- 

 scribed as being pure white, and measuring 1*5 inch in length by 1T5 in breadth. 



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