PUEFINUS ELEGANS. 



the legs and feet of the same colour as in the Procellaria cyanopedo. Nectris munda, 

 February 15, 1769. Lat. 48° 27' S., Long. 93°." 



Parkinson's drawing is only a pencil sketch in outline, and no such name as 

 Procellaria cyanopus was known at the time. The only species described by him as 

 having bluish feet is Nectris fidiginosa of Solander's MSS., which is the well-known 

 P. griseus, and with it Nectris munda can have no real connection (cf. Salvin, in Rowley's 

 Orn. Misc., I., p. 256, 1876). 



Salvia's opinion of P. elegans is stated in his article on Petrels in the " Ornithological 

 Miscellany," as follows : — " In describing this species the authors suggest that it may 

 be the bird indicated in Banks's drawings as Nectris munda (cf. antea, p. 236) ; and 

 there appears to be some reason for this suggestion, though, after looking carefully at 

 the drawing and Solander's MSS. note attached to this name, I see little chance, from such 

 incomplete materials, of coming to any decision respecting it. Under these circumstances 

 I think that the name P. elegans had best be adhered to, for this bird, i.e., supposing it 

 to be a species distinct from all others. That this may ultimately prove not to be the 

 case is suggested by the fact that the single specimen yet known is a young bird that 

 has just thrown off its down, the remains of which are still visible ; moreover, the 

 white edgings to the feathers of the upper plumage in this specimen are so unusual 

 in this genus that I am disposed to doubt their being characteristic of the adult 

 bird. Still, apart from this point of doubtful value, there remains the clear cinereous 

 colouring of the adult plumage which corresponds with that of no other species of 

 Pufjznus that I am acquainted with. It is thus quite likely that P. elegans will stand 

 as a distinct species." 



The following is a translation of the original description of the species given by 

 Professor Giglioli and Count Salvadori : — General colour above entirely ashy- 

 plumbeous, all the feathers very narrowly edged with white ; median and greater wing- 

 coverts as well as the secondaries edged with white, forming three bands across the 

 wing ; under wing-coverts and interior aspect of quills, white ; sides of head and neck 

 mixed with ashy-white ; tail short and entirely ashy-plumbeous ; hinder aspect of 

 tarsus black, bluish in front ; toes black below, bluish above ; webs whitish ; claws 

 black ; bill slender, bluish, the cuLmen and tip black ; iris brown. Total length about 

 11.5 inches ; culmen, 1.07 ; wing, 7.3 ; tail, 2.7 ; tarsus, 1.7 ; middle toe and claw, 

 1.95 (Salvin, Cat. Birds. Brit. Mus., XXV., p. 385). 



The Plate is drawn from the type-specimen kindly lent to Salvin by Professor 

 GiglioH, and it has also been figured in Salvin' s article on Petrels in the " Ornithological 

 Miscellany" (I.e.). 



137 



