OCEANITIDiE OCBANITES 459 



778. Oceanites oceanicus. Wilson's Petrel. 



Proeellaria oceanica, KuJil, Beiti: p. 186 (1820) ; Gurney, in Anders- 

 son's B. Damaral. p. 351 (1872). 



Proeellaria wilsoni, Bp., Journ. Acad. Phil, iii, p. 231, pi. 9 (1823). 



Thalassidroma wilsoni, Grill, K. Vet. AJcad. Handl. ii, no. 10, p. 57 

 (1858) ; Laijard, B. S. Afr. p. 359 (1867). 



Oceanites oceanicus. Dresser, B. Eur. viii, p. 505 pi. 614 (1878) ; 

 Shai-pe, ed. Lazjard's B. 8. Afr. p. 763 (1884) ; Swinburne, Proc. E. 

 Phys. 8oc. Edin. ix, p. 197 (1886) ; Salvin, Cat. B. M. xxv, p. 358 

 (1896); Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 166 (1896); Beichenow, Viirj. Afr. 

 i, p. 35 (1900). 



Description. Adult. — General colour sooty brown, darkest on 

 the wings and tail, paler below ; bases of the lateral tail feathers, 

 and the upper and under tail-coverts white, the latter slightly tipped 

 with brown on the inner webs ; greater wing coverts pale sometimes 

 edged with whitish. 



PiQ. 143. — KbaCl ol Oceanites oceanicus. x l 



Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black ; inner portion of the web 

 between the toes bright yellow. Length 7-5 ; wing 5-5 ; tail 2-6 ; 

 culmen "55 ; tarsus 1-35 ; middle toe -9. Sexes aUke, the nestling 

 covered with uniform greyish black down. 



This Petrel can be at once distinguished by its yellow webs, 

 its very long tarsi without any indication of scutes or shields in 

 front, and square tail. 



Distribution. — Wilson's Petrel has a very extended range ; it is 

 found throughout the Southern Ocean, whence it wanders north- 

 wards in the Atlantic as far as Labrador and the British coasts, in 

 the Indian Ocean it appears on the Mekran coast of Beluchistan 

 and around the Australian seas and New Caledonia. 



It is occasionally met with about the South African coast. 

 Andersson states that it is not uncommon about Walvisch Bay; 

 Layard obtained examples in Table Bay in April 1865 some of 

 which are still preserved in the South African Museum ; Mr. J. G. 



