412 



and graceful. It is generally seen in small companies, although each appears to hunt and 

 dwell apart." 



It occurs at Kerguelen, where it was obtained by the German Expedition; and Mr. Eaton, 

 who believes that he saw it there, writes (Zool. of Kerguelen Isl. p. 28) as follows : — " Off Cape 

 Sandwich and the neighbouring lowland, and out at sea during the first few days' sail from 

 Kerguelen Island, I noticed a Petrel very like CE. lessoni, but differing from that species in 

 having a dark-coloured back and tail. This may have been CE. brevirostris. But when I was 

 looking through the collection in the South-African Museum, on my return to the Cape, I was 

 led to believe the species I had seen to be CE. mollis, Gould, which is represented in the 

 collection mentioned by a specimen taken in lat. 31 c 26' S., long. 30° 26' E., exhibited as 

 Procellaria mollis, Gould." 



According to Mr. Gould (Handb. B. of Australia, ii. p. 453), "This species flies in the 

 greatest abundance between the 20th and 50th degrees of south latitude; but I observed it to 

 be more numerous in the Atlantic than in the Pacific ; and probably, like the other wandering 

 members of this genus, it makes a circuit of the globe. Although I have not seen it within 

 sight of the shores of Australia, it doubtless occasionally visits them, for I observed it to be 

 plentiful off the eastern end of the islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam." 



Specimens were obtained on the ' Novara ' Expedition near the north of New Zealand, in 

 35° S. lat. and 175° 5' E. long. 



Messrs. Layard record it as breeding in New Caledonia, and say (Ibis, 1882, p. 539) that it 

 "breeds in great numbers about the summit of Mount Mou, in burrows. The birds and eggs 

 were obtained by Mr. Atkinson on 10th February, 1882, the latter all nearly ready for exclusion, 

 and dirty white, red-stained with earth, rather pointed at one end, not oval : axis 2" 1'", diam. 

 1" 6'". Only one egg in each nest. Mr. Atkinson heard the birds calling as they passed high 

 overhead at night. They are never seen over the land by day." 



Beyond these notes by Messrs. Layard, I find nothing on record respecting the nidification 

 of this Petrel, and have never been able to examine an authentic egg. 



The specimen figured is the one above described, and is in my own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined, besides those in the British 

 Museum, the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, <§ ad. Funchal, Madeira, August 6th, 1891 {Padre E. Schmitz) . 



E Mus. J. J. Dalgleish. 

 a. Uho de Cal, Porto Santo, Madeira, July 1889 {Padre E. Schmils). 



