222 FORKED-TAILED PETREL. 



Massachusetts, Maine, and Nova Scotia. Breeds on the shores of Baffin's 

 Bay. 



Adult Male. 



Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, with the tips curved, as broad 

 as high at the base, extremely compressed at the end. Upper mandible with 

 the nostrils forming a tube on its ridge at the base, beyond which the dorsal 

 line is for a short space straight, then decurved, the ridge narrow and sepa- 

 rated from the convex sides by a narrow groove, the edges sharp, inflected, 

 the tip compressed, incurved. Lower mandible with the angle rather long, 

 narrow and pointed, the dorsal line beyond it decurved, the sides erect, the 

 edges sharp, the tip decurved. 



Head of ordinary size, roundish, anteriorly narrowed. Neck short. Body 

 rather slender. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare at its lower part; tarsus 

 slender, reticulate all round. Hind toe minute, with a conical claw; anterior 

 toes of moderate length, slender, scutellate above, connected by striated webs 

 with concave margins; the third and fourth toes longest, and about equal. 

 Claws slender, arched, compressed, acute. 



Plumage very soft, blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings, which 

 are very long; primary quills tapering but rounded, the outer four a little 

 incurved at their extremities, the second longest, the third almost equal, the 

 first and fourth about the same length, the rest rapidly graduated; outer 

 secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded; inner longer, tapering, straight. 

 Tail deeply forked, of twelve broad, rounded feathers. 



Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The general colour of the plumage 

 is dark greyish-brown, the quills and tail brownish-black, the smaller wing- 

 coverts and inner secondaries light greyish-brown; the rump, sides of the 

 abdomen, and exterior lower tail-coverts, white. 



Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 8j; extent of wings 18j; 

 wing from flexure 6^; tail 3; bill along the back T 8 2, along the edge of lower 

 mandible |f; tarsus 1; middle toe |f, its claw -yf. Weight 1-f oz. 



The Female is exactly similar to the male. 



