OCEANITES OCEANICUS : WILSOn's PETREL. 383 



WILSON'S PETREL. 



OCEANITES OCEANICUS (Kuhl) CoUeS. 



Chars. Dark sooty-brown, pale gray on the wing-coverts ; the 

 upper tail-coverts, and frequently the crissum and sides of rump 

 and base of tail, white ; bill and feet black, but webs with a 

 yellow spot. Legs very long ; tibiae bare an inch or more ; tarsi 

 " booted," much longer than the toes ; claws flat, obtuse ; bill 

 small and weak ; hind toe very minute, liable to be overlooked. 

 Length, 7.00-8.00 ; wing about 6.00 ; tail, 3.00, nearly even ; 

 tarsus, 1.7s ; middle toe and claw 1.12^ ; bill only .50. 



Common, under the same circumstances as the last, 

 with which it is frequently found in association, though 

 we are not aware that its breeding within our limits is 

 sufficiently attested. 



GREATER OR WANDERING SHEARWATER. 



PuFFiNUS MAJOR Faber. 



Chars. Dark bistre-brown, somewhat plumbeous on the head, most 

 feathers of the back and wings with pale edges, most upper tail- 

 coverts partly white ; below, white, with a plain line of demarca- 

 tion from the color of the upper parts on the side of the head 

 and fore neck, and dark flank-patches ; quills and tail blackish, 

 paler or whitish at bases of inner webs ; lining of wings mostly 

 white ; crissum mostly dark ; bill dark ; outside of tarsus and 

 outer toe dark, rest of feet pale. Length, 18.00-20.00; extent, 

 45.00; wing, 13.00; tail, 5.75, outer feathers an inch less; bill, 

 2.00 ; tarsus, 2.40 ; middle toe and claw, 2.80. 



This is the commonest species of the genus, occur- 

 ring all along the New England coast. It is well 

 known to the fishermen under the name of "Hagdon," 



