96. HALOBiENA CCERULEA (Gm.). 



(BLUE PETREL.) 



(Plate 81.) 



Blue Petrel, Forster, Voy. I., p. 91 ; Lath., Gen. Syn., III., pt. 2, p. 415 (1785). 



Another Blue Peter el, Cook, Voy. I., p. 32. 



Procellaria ccerulea, Gm., Syst., Nat., I., p. 560 (1788) ; Gould, Birds Austr., VJLL, 



PL 52 (1847) ; Buller, Birds New Zeal., p. 306 (1873). 

 Pachyptila ccerulea, IUiger, Prodr., p. 275 (1811). 

 Procellaria forsteri, Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr., Aves, PI. 53 (1849). 

 Procellaria similis, Forster, Descr. Anim., p. 59 (1844). 

 Halobcena ccerulea, Bp., Comptes Rend., XLIL, p. 768 (1856) ; Gould, Handb. Birds 



Austr., II., p. 457 (1865) ; Sharpe, Phil. Trans., Vol. 168, p. 141 (1879) ; 



Buller, Birds New Zeal., 2nd ed., II., p. 214 (1888) ; Salvin, Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus., XXV., p. 431 (1896) ; Reichenow, Deutsche Siidpolar Exped., 



IX., Zool., I., p. 557 (1908). 

 Halobcena typica, Bp., Comptes Rend., XLIL, p. 768 (1856). 

 Fulmarus ca&ruleus, Gray, Handl. Birds, III., p. 107 (1871). 



Procellaria velox, Solander MSS. ; Salvin in Rowley's Orn. Misc., I., p. 238 (1876). 

 Prion cceruleus, Reichenow, Vog. Afrikas, X., p. 31 (1900) ; W. L. Sclater, Faun. S. 



Afr. Birds, IV., p. 488 (1906). 



Ad. Pulchre cinerascenti-cinerea : subtus alba ; rectricibus late albo terminatis. 



In colour and markings H. ccerulea resembles the species of the genus Prion, but differs 

 from them in the shape of the tail, which forms a distinguishing character. 



It has also been separated from Prion by reason of the supposed absence of the 

 lamellse near the base of the upper mandible ; a close examination, however, shows that 

 the lamellse are present, though very minute, so that this character does not hold good ; 

 but I cannot unite the two genera, as has been done by Reichenow and W. L. Sclater, 

 on account of the difference in the tail, which in Halobazna is square, while in Prion 

 it is wedge-shaped. H. cozrulea is also distinguished from the other Blue Prions 

 by the white tips to the tail-feathers. 



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