CYMODROMA GRALLARIA. 



Mr. Layard refers to the specimens obtained by Sir George Grey, and says that 

 the only one which fell under his notice was procured by Commander L. A. 

 Beardslee, of the U. S. Navy, and captured on board his ship, the " Aroostook," about 

 300 miles to the westward of the Cape, in May, 1867 (Sharpe, ed. Layard Birds S. Afr., 

 p. 764.) No example has as yet been met with on Kerguelen Island, but it was 

 recorded for the first time from Gough Island by the naturalists of the Scottish Antarctic 

 Expedition. Although Mr. Eagle Clarke (Ibis, 1905, p. 26) and Dr. Bruce (Pr. Fourth 

 Inter. Orn. Congr., p. 273, 1907) have both stated that the species has not been 

 recorded from Tristan da Cunha, Mr. Nicoll found it in that group of islands (Ibis, 

 1906, p. 675). 



Professor Giglioli says that, during the voyage of the " Magenta," C. grallaria 

 was seen between Callao and Valparaiso, for three days, replacing Oceanites. In 

 November it was observed off Juan Fernandez, and on the 6th of that month was also 

 met with in Lat. 39° 5' S., Long. 79° 43' W. (Faun. Vertebr. Oceano, p. 38). Dr. 

 Coppinger, during the voyage of the " Alert," procured a specimen off St. Ambrose 

 Island on the 20th July. 



This Petrel has also been known to occur incidentally off the coast of Florida 

 (A. 0. U. ChecM., 1886, p. 106). 



According to Gould (Handb. Birds Aust., p. 480) the White-bellied Storm-Petrel is 

 a fine and powerful bird. Like the other members of the genus, it feeds on 

 mollusca, the spawn of fish, and any kind of fatty matter that may be floating on 

 the surface of the ocean. 



Dr. Wilson, who was naturalist to the " Discovery," says that he continually 

 saw these little Petrels " dropping to touch the water with one foot, and steadying 

 themselves while they daintily took their minute crustacean food from the surface of 

 the water " (Nat. Antarctic Exped., II., Zool., p. 80). 



Adult male. Similar to C. melanogaster, but easily distinguished by the hoary- 

 white margins to the dorsal feathers ; the breast and belly pure white ; the under 

 tail-coverts black, white at base and fringed with white at the tips, the central coverts 

 entirely black. Total length, 7.4 inches ; culmen, 0.5 ; wing, 6.5 ; tail, 3.0 ; 

 tarsus, 1.4 ; middle toe and claw, 0.8. 



Adult female. Similar to the male, and having the belly pure white and the 

 dorsal feathers fringed with white. Total length, 6.6 inches ; wing, 6.5. 



The specimens in the British Museum give the following measurements : — 



S Wing, 6.5 inches ; tarsus, 1.4 ; middle toe and claw, 0.8 ; culmen, 0.5. 



V Wing, 6.1-6.5 inches; tarsus, 1.4-1.5; middle toe and claw, 0.85-0.9; 

 culmen, 0.5. 



The descriptions are taken from a pair of birds in the British Museum from the 

 South Pacific Ocean. The figure is drawn from a specimen in our own collection, the 

 locality being unknown. 



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