MONOGRAPH OF THE PETRELS. 



seize it themselves before it sinks again. The species is apparently diurnal in its 

 habits both at sea and ashore. 



Mr. Nicoll found a large fish in the crop of a specimen which he shot, so that 

 no doubt remains as to the bird being a fish eater (Ibis, 1904, p. 52). 



Adult female. General colour above blackish-brown, the long scapulars black 

 towards their ends ; the mantle and upper back lighter and shaded with slaty -grey ; 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white ; tail-feathers slaty-grey with 

 yellowish-white shafts ; wings blackish-brown, the quills greyish on the inner webs, 

 gradually inclining to white towards the base of the inner web of the secondaries ; 

 head and neck all round, and entire under-surface of body, pure white ; the hinder 

 crown, and nape, as well as the sides of the crown above the ear-coverts, delicate blue- 

 grey, which colour is more or less visible on the hind-neck, and is more distinct where 

 it joins the mantle ; toes shaded with ashy-grey; in front of the eye a black spot, 

 extending above it and the ear-coverts, and merging into grey on the sides of the 

 crown ; under wing-coverts black, forming a broad black border on each aspect of the 

 wing, and on closing, a broad longitudinal band of white formed by the greater coverts ; 

 primary-coverts ashy-grey, white on the inner webs ; quills blackish below, greyer on 

 the inner web, secondaries whitish towards the base of : the inner web ; axillaries pure 

 white ; " bill buff, with a narrow line of black round the base ; legs and toes yellowish 

 white, the interdigital membrane and the joints marked with pale blue ; iris very light 

 brown, freckled with a darker tint " (Gould). Total length, about 32 inches ; culmen, 

 4.7 ; wing, 20.7 ; tail, 7.6 ; tarsus, 3.0 ; middle toe and claw, 4.7. 



It is interesting to note that sometimes the flocks of this Albatros consist 

 entirely of old birds while at others only immature specimens are encountered. 



The colour of the bill is said by Professor Giglioli to vary from olive with a black 

 tip to pure orange, and even uniform flesh-colour. These differences are doubtless 

 due to age and it may be a considerable time before the birds show the yellow bill of 

 the fully adult. 



Gould, however, says that the young may be distinguished by their dark brown 

 bill, which in the adult are buff colour, or in some immature and intermediate 

 examples of a delicate yellow (Handb. Birds Austr., II., p. 440). Hutton challenges 

 Gould's statement that the only difference between adult and young birds lies in the 

 colour of the bill. 



According to' Hutton's observations the head in the young is grey, which, as the 

 bird grows older, becomes white, first on the cheeks, and then spreading to the top of 

 the head, leaves a collar round the neck, which breaks first in front, and gradually spreads 

 upwards until the whole is white. The beak remains dark blue for some time after 

 the plumage has assumed the colours of the adult. The feet and legs of the young 

 bird are light blue. " Bill black ; tarsi and toes black with an olive-brown wash ; 

 iris hazel " (M. J. Nicoll). 



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