CYMODROMA ALBIGULARIS. 



Macgillivray sent home examples from the New Hebrides, in 1860, to which he 

 attached the MSS. name of Thalassidroma albigularis, a title which Dr. Finsch had 

 adopted without being aware of Macgillivray' s suggestion. 



In addition to its greater size, C. albigularis differs from the two foregoing species 

 in having a strikingly forked tail, and a brown collar across the fore-neck, the throat 

 and rest of the under-surface being pure white. 



The species was discovered by the late John Macgillivray on the island 

 of Aneiteum, in the New Hebrides, where it was presumably not uncommon, 

 as he forwarded several specimens to Europe, four of them being now in the 

 British Museum. 



Mr. J. J. Lister also records this Storm-Petrel from the Phoenix Islands. He 

 writes (P. Z. S., 1891, p. 295) : — " During the middle of the day there were few of these 

 birds to be seen, but towards sunset, before we left the island, they came in in considerable 

 numbers. I watched one of them beating backwards and forwards over a sandy 

 tract, sparsely covered with grass, in which they make their burrows. It was some 

 time, before the bird found his home and settled down. I caught one as it was 

 disappearing. On putting my arm into the burrow I found a second bird at the 

 extreme end, which was just as far as I could reach. I found no eggs in the burrows, 

 but on opening one of the birds that I obtained, I found an egg, ready to be laid, in the 

 oviduct. This egg measures 1.54 inch in length, and 1.12 inch in breadth. It is of a 

 creamy white, with minute spots profusely sprinkled at the larger end, but 

 sparsely over the remainder ; those of the deeper layers are pale purple, the 

 superficial ones reddish-brown. The sandy tract above-mentioned contained a 

 large number of burrows, so that, on walking over it, the ground frequently gave 

 under foot." 



Adult male. Sooty-black, the greater wing-coverts a little paler ; upper tail- 

 coverts short, white, forming a narrow transverse band across the rump ; throat and 

 abdomen, white ; a broad prae-pectoral band, brown ; a few blackish spots or streaks 

 on the flanks ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, the latter with dusky 

 shaft-streaks ; outer under wing-coverts sooty-brown round the edge of the wing ; bill 

 and legs black. Total length, about 8.75 inches ; central rectrices, 3.25 ; lateral 

 rectrices, 4.25. 



The five specimens in the British Museum measure as follows : — 



Three males: culmen, 0.65-0.7 inch; wing, 7.6-7.9; tarsus, 1.8-1.85; middle toe 

 and claw, 1.2-1.3. 



Two females : culmen, 0.6-0.7 inch ; wing, 7.8-8.0 ; tarsus, 1.8 ; middle toe and 

 claw, 1.25-1.35. 



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