MONOGRAPH OF THE PETRELS. 



there is no reason why this wide-ranging species should not occur there, the record has 

 never since been confirmed, and, as several birds from the Aru Islands were included 

 by Mr. Cockerell in his Australian collection, it is just possible that the locality for his 

 example of P. leucomelas was incorrect, and that it really came from the above 

 islands. 



Count Von Berlepsch has very kindly sent me for examination his specimen from 

 Finsch Harbour. He considers it to be distinct from true P. leucomelas, and points 

 out the following differences between the Japanese and New Guinea birds, especially 

 the smaller size and weaker bill, the latter being paler and yellower laterally in the 

 Finsch Harbour example. The wings and tail are also somewhat shorter, and the feet 

 are smaller. The black stripes on the sides of the head and neck are narrower, and 

 the black spots on the forehead smaller. The wing in this specimen measures 11.8 

 inches in length, and the culmen 1.8 inch. 



These dimensions are certainly rather small, and the bill is more slender than in 

 typical Japanese examples. In all Petrels, however, according to my experience, 

 there is considerable variation in size, and the specific differences pointed out by Count 

 Von Berlepsch do not hold good when compared with the large series which I have 

 examined in the British and Rothschild Museums, the measurements of which are as 

 follows : — 



Japan. — Wing, 11.7-13.5 inches; culmen, 1.9-2.1. 



New Guinea. — Wing, 12.5-13.0 inches; culmen, 1.9-2.1. 



Cataguan. — Wing, 10.7 inches ; culmen, 2.0. 



Sandakan. — Wing, 12.4 inches ; culmen, 1.8. 



Finsch Harbour. — Wing, 11.8 inches ; culmen, 1.8. 



The Japanese specimens appear, at first sight, to have larger and heavier bills, 

 and even longer wings, but these dimensions are equalled by those of birds from more 

 southern localities, and it will be seen that the small size of the Finsch Harbour 

 specimen is by no means unique. I am, therefore, unable to find any characters to show 

 that the New Guinea bird is separable from true P. leucomelas, and there can be but little 

 doubt that the Shearwater found in New Guinea is only a migrant from Japan. 



So far as I am aware, no notes on the habits of the present species have been 

 published. 



Adult. General colour above dark brown, almost uniform on the mantle, the feathers 

 of the back and scapulars being fringed with white, and with a pale sub-terminal 

 bar on most of the feathers ; rump and median upper tail-coverts dark brown, with very 

 faintly indicated whitish fringes ; the longer upper tail-coverts white towards the ends, 

 freckled with brown, and showing a dark heart-shaped mark ; wings rather blacker 

 than the back, with only a few whitish fringes on the marginal and greater coverts ; 

 quills also blackish, browner on the inner webs ; the secondaries with white edges, 

 and white towards the base on the inner web ; tail blackish-brown ; head white, 



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