130 BULLETIN 121y UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



that the type specimen was taken oflf our coast, that it has been seen 

 there since, and that it may be taken again within our limits. 



Dr. Edward W. Nelson (1887) was quite sure that he saw speci- 

 mens of this petrel while crossing the North Pacific Ocean: he says: 



While on my way to and from the Aleutian Islands a petrel conspicuous by 

 its white collar and under surface was seen repeatedly, and although none 

 were secured, yet it was identified by its peculiar pattern of coloration. These 

 birds were seen both in May and in October while crossing a part of the Pacific 

 some 500 miles broad bordering the Aleutian chain. 



I can not accept the suggestion, contained in Mr. Henry W. Hen- 

 shaw's explanatory footnote, that the birds referred to were 

 Pterodroma fisheri, for I am familiar with the latter species in life 

 and I can not see how such a mistake could have occurred. Ptero- 

 droma is much larger than Oceanadroma and its behavior in flight 

 is quite different. I know from personal experience in the rough 

 and stormy seas of the North Pacific Ocean that observations are 

 much interrupted in bad weather and that collecting is often impos- 

 sible at such times, when unfortunately, the Tubinares are most 

 abundant. Therefore, it is not to be wondered at that this and other 

 rare species have so long escaped the collectors. Persistent and sys- 

 tematic work in that region might yield some very valuable and in- 

 teresting results. 



One of the most interesting results of the Brewster and Sanf ord ex- 

 pedition to South America was the rediscovery of this rare species, 

 60 years after the type was described. 



Mr. Eobert Cushman Murphy (1922) has published the following 

 notes on these and other specimens of this rare petrel : 



In 1887 (fide Godman, Monogr. Petrels, p. 36, 1907) E. W. Nelson reported 

 that he had seen numbers of Hornby's petrels, " both in May and October, while 

 crossing a part of the Pacific, some 500 miles broad, bordering the Aleutian 

 chain." Doubts were subsequently cast upon the identification, however, by 

 Hen Shaw. 



In 1895 the National Museum of Chile, at Santiago, obtained two immature 

 specimens, including a nearly full-grown bird with only a few traces of grayish- 

 white down still clinging to its belly. These came from an inland region east 

 of Taltal. They were not recognized as Oceanodroma hornhyi, and were 

 described anew by R. A. Philippi as " Procellaria (Oceanites) coUaris" (Ver- 

 handlungisn des deutschen wissenschaftlichen Vereins zu Santiago de Chile, vol. 

 3, Pt. 1, pp. 11-13, plate). Philippi's account states: 



"Das Exemplar von Sturmschwalbe, dessen Beschrelbung ich hiermit gebe, 

 1st dadurch besonders merbwurdig, dass es inmltten des Landes, ostlich von 

 Taltal, in Gesellschaft elnes ganz jungen Vogelchens, welches noch mit dem 

 voUen Flaum bekleidet ist, tolt gefunden wurde. Unser Museum verdankt es 

 H. Dr. Darapsky. 



" Der vogel hat ganz die Grosse und Gestalt der ubrigen Sturmschwalben, von 

 denen er sehr leicht durch folgende Diagnose unterschieden werden kann." 



The Latin diagnosis which follows, the recorded measurements, and the full 

 page monochrome plate made from a crayon drawing leave no room for doubt 



