546 



wing; the quill-feathers are blackish brown, with shafts of the same, the first quill-feather being the 

 longest ; the under surface of the wings, so far as can be seen, is white. The naked parts of the tibia?, 

 the tarsi, and the basal halves of the toes and interdigital membranes appear to have been dusky 

 yellow ; the rest of the feet and claws are black. The specimen was a female ; and when newly killed 

 the irides were hazel-brown." 



Obs. It appears that when the bird is alive the basal halves of the toes, the tibiae, and tarsi are flesh- 

 colour. 



Juv. (Hayti). Crown and nape blackish brown; the sides of the forehead white marked with brown; hind 

 neck, fore part of the face, entire throat, and underparts white; back and upper parts dull brown, 

 the margins of the dorsal feathers lighter ; quills dark brown ; tail dark brown, except at the base, 

 where it is dull white, very much rounded in shape. Total length about 14 inches, culmen V7, 

 wing 1T4, tail 62, tarsus T52. 



Theee are few birds amongst those which are included in the European list about which less is 

 known than the present species ; and all that I can say respecting its range is that it inhabits the 

 Atlantic Ocean ; but how far to the north and to the south it ranges I am unable to determine. 



Its claim to be considered European rests on two occurrences — one in England, as below 

 stated, and one in France ; for there is an example in the Museum at Boulogne, which is said to 

 have been shot near that town some years ago by a sportsman (M. Lebeau Longuety), who pre- 

 sented it to the Museum. The specimen obtained in England was " observed by a boy on a 

 heath at Southacre, near Swaffham, in Norfolk, napping for some time from one furze bush to 

 another ; at length it got into one of the bushes, and was then secured by him : exhausted as 

 it was, it had strength enough remaining to bite violently the hand of its captor, who thereupon 

 killed it. Mr. Newcome, of Hockwold Hall, near Brandon, fortunately happened at the time to 

 be hawking in the neighbourhood of Swaffham ; and his falconer John Madden observing the 

 boy with the dead bird, procured it from him, and brought it to his master, by whom it was 

 skinned and mounted, and in whose possession it now is. This took place in the spring of 

 1850." Professor Newton, who was the first to record the above capture, and who determined 

 the species to which the bird belonged, published a detailed account in the ' Zoologist' (1852, 

 p. 3691), together with two illustrations. 



Dr. Coues gives the range of this species as the "Atlantic ocean, coasts of America and 

 Europe," and says that there is a specimen in the museum at Philadelphia from the Atlantic 

 coast. Two specimens in the Leyden Museum were recorded by Schlegel as being from "Ocean" 

 — a very vague statement as to the locality. One was said to have been obtained on the voyage 

 of the ' Gazelle ;' but Dr. Peters now informs me that it is not referable to this species. In 

 the British Museum there is a specimen from Hayti ; and Mr. Gould mentions having seen 

 specimens in France, stated to have been brought from the West Indies, and adds that he 

 remembers having seen others of this Petrel in abundance off the western isles. It appears, as 

 far as I can gather, that the true home of the Capped Petrel is the Lesser Antilles. Pere Labat, 

 who went to the Antilles in 1693, and remained there twelve years, speaks of a bird under the 

 names of " Diable " and " Diablotin," which it is now generally admitted was the Capped Petrel. 

 This gentleman, who gives some interesting details respecting the habits and nidification of this 



