64. (ESTRELATA MOLLIS (Gould). 



(SOFT-PLUMAGED FULMAR) 

 (Plate 54.) 



Procellaria mollis, Gould, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., XIII. , p. 363 (1844) ; id., Birds 



Austr., VII., PI. 50 (1848). 

 Jlstrelata mollis, Bp., Consp. Av., II., p. 190 (1855) ; Coues, Pr. Acad. Philad., 1866, 



pp. 150, 170; Gould, Handb. Birds Austr., II., p. 453 (1865); Giglioli, 



Faun. Vertebr. Oceano, p. 42 (1870). 

 Rhantistes tnollis, Bp., Comptes Rend., XLIL, p. 768 (1856). 

 Fulmarus mollis, Gray, Handl. Birds, III., p. 107 (1871). 

 'JEstrelata mollis, Salvin, Ibis, 1877, p. 480 ; id., Voy. " Challenger," Zool., II., p. 144 



(1881) ; Sharpe, Phil. Trans., Vol. 168, p. 128 (1879) ; Salvin, Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus., XXV., p. 406, pt. (1896). 



Supra cinerea : fronte et facie laterali albis, fusco maculatis : plumis circum-ocularibus 

 et regione parotica nigris : subtus alba, praepectore plus minusve cinerascente : 

 subalaribus et axillaribus cinerascenti-fuscis. 



Gould described this species as very abundant between Lat. 20° and 40° S., and from 

 Long. 175° E. — 22° W., and it appears to be plentifully distributed in the Cape Seas 

 and the South Indian Ocean. It is more numerous in the Atlantic than in the Pacific, 

 but although he did not observe it within sight of Australia, Gould had no doubt that 

 the bird occurred there, as he saw many examples off the islands of Amsterdam and 

 St. Paul {Handb. Birds Austr., II., p. 453), where a specimen was obtained during the 

 voyage of the " Novara " (Pelzeln, Reis. Novara, Zool., I., Vdg., p. 146, 1865). 



(E. mollis was observed by Mr. M. J. Nicoll, the naturalist on board the " Valhalla," 

 when off Tristan da Cunha (Ibis, 1906, p. 674), and the " Challenger " Expedition 

 procured two specimens on Nightingale Island on October 17th, 1873 (Spec. e. f. of 

 Salvin, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XXV., p. 407). Hutton states that the species does not 

 occur on Prince Edward Island, nor on Kerguelen (Ibis, 1865, p. 287). A specimen in the 



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