BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 189 



Zealand, Southern Ocean, and ranging nortliwards to the coasts 

 of Central America. 



Observations. — This species was observed by Gould to be 

 plentiful in the seas round Australia. Between northern Tas- 

 mania and South Australia he noticed it in numbers. Regarding 

 its general habits, he states that they are very similar to those 

 of the other members of the group, and therefore there was no 

 necessity to repeat what he had already written of other species. 



*YELLOW-NOSED (GREEN-BILLED) ALBATROSS. 

 {Thalassogeron chlororhynchus , Gmelin). 



Male. — Head and neck white, with a shght tinge of grey; an 

 indistinct dark grey mark in front of the eye ; back dark sooty- 

 brown; rump white; tail dark grey, the shafts white; wings almost 

 black ; under surface white ; ' ' bill black, culmen yellow passing 

 into blood-orange at the tip, base of the mandible yellow, the tip 

 also slightly yellow; legs flesh colour " (B. M. Cat.) Dimensions 

 in mm.:- — -Length, 850; bill, 128; wing, 480; tail, 192; tarsus, 

 77. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Nest. — Does not differ from those of the other members of the 

 genus. 



Eggs. — "Clutch one; colour dull white, with single yellowish 

 blotches, probably resulting from dirt. Dimensions in inches: — 

 4.0 X 2.28 (Kutter) " (A. J. Campbell). 



Breeding Season. — October and November. 



Geographical Distribution. — Seas of Tasmania, Australia, New 

 Zealand, and the Southern Ocean generally. 



Observations. — Practically nothing is known of the natural 

 economy of the Yellow-nosed Albatross, but which we may sup- 

 pose is very similar to other species. 



Gould, on his way to Australia in 1838, found this species very 

 plentiful at times. 



*SOOTY ALBATROSS 

 (Phcebetria fuliginosa, Gmelin). 



Male. — Plumage generally sooty; shoulders and under surface 

 slightly tinged with brown; ring of white, interrupted in front, 

 round the eyes ; bill black ; along either side of the lower mandibles 

 a line of yellow; " feet dark hazel " (B. M. Cat.); " legs and feet 

 white, with a purplish tinge " (BuUer). Dimensions in mm. : — 

 Length, 880; bill, 113; wing, 605; tail, 245; tarsus, 76. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Immature. — An immature female captured in Bass Strait was 

 similar in plumage to the adult save that some of the feathers on 



