37. PUFFINUS AURICULARIS, Townsend. 



(TOWNSEND'S SHEARWATER.) 



(Plate 31.) 



Puffinus auricularis, Townsend, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIII. , p. 133 (1890) ; Salvin, 

 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XXV., p. 380 (1896) ; Anthony, Auk, XV., pp. 38, 

 313, 316, 317 (1898), XVII., p. 249 (1900) ; Rothschild and Hartert, Nov. 

 Zool., VI., p. 197 (1899) ; Godman, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, III., p. 434 

 (1904). 



Cauda brevi, rotundata : subtus albus : ala breviore, 9.0-9.9 poll. : axillaribus 

 plerumque albis : subcaudalibus fumoso-nigris. 



This species is allied to P. opisthomelas, but is much blacker, has white axillaries, and, 

 from its smaller size, approaches the Shearwaters of the P. dbscurus group, in juxta- 

 position to which it has been placed by the Hon. Walter Rothschild and Dr. Hartert. 



Salvin (Gat. Birds Brit. Mies., XXV., p. 380) described the type-specimen, which 

 was kindly lent to him by the U. S. National Museum, and he states that the axillaries 

 are white ; but I find that, in a pair of birds from Clarion Island, in the Rothschild 

 Collection, the axillaries, though white, have sub-terminal black spots. 



This Shearwater was described by Dr. C. H. Townsend from a specimen obtained 

 by him on Clarion Island, off the coast of N.W. Mexico, on 4th March, 1889, and I have 

 seen a pair of birds in the Rothschild Museum from the same locality ; the latter were 

 obtained by Mr. R. H. Beck, in October and November, 1900, who also procured a third 

 example at sea in January, 1897, in Lat. 21° 10' S., Long. 115° 38' W. 



About Cape St. Lucas Mr. Anthony found P. auricularis not uncommon, and he 

 remarks that, although perfectly distinct from P. opisthomelas, it is closely allied to 

 that species, and has a similar breeding season. At San Benedicto Island he found 

 several birds nesting during the last week in May, when most of the young were only a 

 few days old, covered with sooty down above and pale grey below. The burrows were 

 on the higher part of the island, about 500 feet above the sea, somewhat scattered 

 amongst bunches of tangled grass, a dozen or more forming a large colony; 

 they were about half the size of those of P. opisthomelas on Natividad Island, 



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