PEOCELLAEIID^ CESTEBLATA 479 



of the water. It breeds on the Crozet Islands, whence eggs were 

 brought by Capt. Armson to Mr. Layard; one of these is still 

 preserved in the South African Museum. It is very like that of 

 the Cape Hen but smaller and somewhat more rounded, measuring 

 2-7 X 1'9 ; the colour is white and the texture smooth but not 

 very glossy. 



Mr. E. Hall {Ibis, 1900, p. 24) met with this bird in considerable 

 numbers on Kerguelen but he did not find any eggs or nests, 

 although the birds appear to occupy burrows on the higher ground 

 about the beach. He states that they are preyed on considerably 

 by the Siiuas and suffer a good deal of persecution. He found nine 

 dead birds lying on the beach. 



792. (Estrelata lessoni. Lesson's Petrel. 



Prooellaria lessoni, Oarnof, Ann. Sci. iVaf. vii, p. 54 (1826) ; Hutton, 



Ibis, 1867, p. 188. 

 (Estrelata lessoni, Salvin, Cat. B. M. xxv, p. 401 (1896) ; Shelley, B. 



Afr. i, p. 167 (1896) ; Beichenow, Vbrj. Afr. i, p. 26 (1900). 

 " White Night Hawk " or " Mutton Bird," of Kerguelen whalers. 



Description. Adult. — Upper surface grey, darker on the rump 

 and becoming gradually whiter on the crown which is nearly pure 

 white ; feathers of the back edged with paler ; nape and sides of the 

 neck transversely mottled pale grey and white ; wings and wing- 

 coverts nearly black ; upper tail-coverts and central tail-feathers 

 pale grey, lateral ones nearly white ; forehead and entire under 

 surface pure white, region in front of and below the eye black ; 

 under wing-coverts dark grey, each feather edged with white ; quills 

 grey below, white on the concealed portions of the base. 



Iris black ; bill black ; tarsi yellow ; distal portion of the toes 

 and webs and the outer toe dark, the rest yellow. 



Length about 18-0; wing 12'2 ; tail 5-0; bill 1-9; tarsus 1-8; 

 middle toe 2-4. 



Distribution. — Lesson's Petrel is found throughout the Southern 

 Ocean, including the coasts of New Zealand, Australia and South 

 Africa. There is an example in the British Museum presented by 

 Sir G. Grey from 36° S. lat., 10° E. Jong., which is not very far 

 from the Cape, while Hutton noted an example in 36° S. lat., 

 2° E. long, a good many years ago when on a voyage to New 

 Zealand. There is no specimen of it in the South African Museum. 



