480 PEOCELLAEIID^ CE STEEL ATA 



Habits. — Lesson's Petrel can be easily recognised when it is 

 seen by its white head which forms a strong contrast t6 its dark 

 wings ; it is a bird of very powerful flight, in this respect far exceed- 

 ing any of its congeners according to Gould. It feeds chiefly on 

 cuttle-fishes, the little homy beaks of which aro almost always 

 found in its stomach. 



As is the case with so many other Petrels, it returns to Kerguelen 

 to nest, where its eggs have been found by the Transit of Venus 

 and Challenger Expeditions, and more recently by Mr. Hall. The 

 single egg is white and measures about 2-85 x 2-0 ; it is laid in a 

 rounded chamber at the end of a short burrow, about the size of 

 that of a rabbit. This, unlike that of the Cape Hen, is always on 

 dry ground and may be placed at any elevation from the shore level 

 to 300 feet. The old birds are very savage when molested and utter 

 a very loud, shrill cry, both then and at other times. 



793. (Estrelata incerta. Schlcgel's Petrel. 



Prooellaria incerta, Sclileg. Mus. P. B. vi, Procell. p. 9 (1863). 

 (Estrelata incerta, Salvin, Cat. B. M. xxv, p. 405 (1896) ; Shelley, B. 



Afr. i, p. 167 (1896) ; Eeichenow, Vbg Aft: i, p. 26 (1900) ; Parlin. 



Ibis, 1900, p. 675. 



Description. Adult. — Above brown, darker on the rump, paler 

 on the back of the neck, the feathers of the back and the wing- 

 coverts edged with a paler shade ; sides of the neck and breast 

 pale greyish brown, the middle of the throat nearly white ; flanks, 

 under tail-coverts, axillaries and quills dark brown. 



Bill black ; tarsus and proximal half of the toes and webs yellow, 

 remainder of the latter blackish. 



Length about 17'5; wing 12-5; tail 5-5; bill 2'0; tarsus 1-7; 

 middle toe 2-4. 



Distribution.— This rare Petrel has only been found in the South 

 Atlantic, near the South African coast. There are three examples 

 in the British Museum, all from Cape seas, obtained in 36° S. lat. 

 10° B. long., in August, in 39° S. lat. 9° E. long., in September, and 

 in 39° S. lat. 8° E. long, in December. This species is not repre- 

 sented in the South African Museum. 



