774 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — LONGIFENNES— TUBINABES. 



318. 



that of a swallow up to the immense albatrosses, probably unsurpassed by any bu'ds whatever 

 in alar expanse, and yielding to few in bulk of body. The plumage is compact and oily, to 

 resist water ; the sexes appear to be always alike, and no seasonal changes are determined ; 

 but some variation with age, or as a matter of individual peculiarity, certainly occurs in many 

 cases. The food is entirely of an animal nature, and fatty substances, in particular, are eagerly 

 dev(jured. When irritated, many species eject an oily iluid from the mouth or nostrils, and 

 some are so fat as to be occasionally used for lamps, a wick being run through the b(jdy. 

 The eggs are few, or only one, laid in a rude nest or none, on the ground or in a burrow. 

 Petrels are silent birds, as a rule, contrasting with gulls and terns in this particular; many 

 or most are gregarious, congregating by thousands at their breeding places or where food 

 is plenty. 



Birds of this family abound on all seas ; but the group is yet imperfectly known. Bona- 

 parte gave 69 species, in 1856 ; my memoirs upon the subject (1864-66) present 92, of which 

 17 are marked as doubtful or obscure ; in 1871 Gray recorded 112 ; there are probably about 

 75 good species. They are sharply divided by the character of the nostrils into three groups ; 

 two represented in North America, as beyond, and the HalodromintB. These last, consisting 

 of one genus and three species or varieties, are remarkably distinguished from the rest, 

 resembling Auks in external appearance and habits ; the wings and tail are very short ; there 

 is no hind toe ; the skin of the throat is naked and distensible ; the tubular nostrils, in fact, 

 are the principal if not the only outward petrel-mark, and these organs are unique in opening 

 directly upward, the nasal tube being vertical iustead of horizontal as in all the rest. 



74. Subfamily DIOMEDEIN/E : Albatrosses. 



Nostrils disconnected, placed one on each side of the 

 bill near the base. Hallux rudimentary, so small as 

 to be usually called wanting. Of largest size in this 

 family. There arc eight unquestionable species, with 

 two or three doubtful or obscure ones. Only three 

 have proven their right to a place here. There is no 

 well authenticated instance of the occurrence of the 

 great Wandering Albatross, D. exulans, off our coasts ; 

 but it has been taken in Europe, and is liable to ap- 

 pear at any time. It is distinguished from the first 

 species folknving by its great size, and the outline of 

 the frontal feathers; deeply concave on the cuhnen, 

 strongly convex on the sides of the biU to a point nearly 

 opposite the nostrils. The Yellow-nosed Albatross, 

 B. cMm-orhyncha (of Audubon, not of Gmelin), is the 

 D. culminata, a species of Australian and other Southern seas, said to have been taken " not 

 far from the Columbia river," but there is no reason, as yet, to believe it ever comes within a 

 thousand miles of this country. It has the biU black, with the culmen and under edge yellow. 

 Other well-known species of Southern seas are D. chlororhi/ncha, cauta, and melanophrys. 



Analysis of Genera. 



Tail rounded, contained 3 or about 3 times in length of wing. Bill stout, evenly encircled by feathers at bnse 



Dinmedea 318 

 Tail cuneate, contained about twice in length of wing. Bill compressed, with frontal reentraiice and 

 lateral salience of feathers at base P/iabeiria 319 



DIOMEDE'A. (Gr. Aio/iTJSTjr, Diomedes, a Grecian hero, Jove-counselled.) Albatros.SES. 

 Bill thick, stout, and heavy, especially broad at base, without colored groove along loM'er 

 mandible, or other special parti-coloration. Nasal tubes ample. 



Fig. 522. — Bill and Foot of Short-tailed 

 Albatross. (After Cassin-) 



Tail short, rounded, less 



