zitr 



PUFFINUS CUNEATUS. 



UAU KANE. 



Puffinus cuneatus, Salvin, Ibis, 1888, p. 353; Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xii. p. 377 (1890). 

 Puffinus knudseni, Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 1888, p. 93. 



In 'The Ibis' for July 1888 Mr. Salvin described this bird from the Krusenstern 

 Islands (Marshall group) as Puffinus cuneatus, while in November of the same year 

 Dr. Stejneger redescribed it as P. knudseni from Kauai, Sandwich Islands ; the latter 

 author, however, on comparison of further specimens, readily admitted that the first 

 name took precedence. 



Mr. Salvin writes as follows : — 



" In general coloration this species resembles P. creatopus, Coues, but it may be 

 readily distinguished by its smaller darker bill, smaller feet, and especially by its longer 

 more cuneate tail, the latter character placing it along with P. chlororlvynclius and 

 P. bulleri, described below, in Gloger's supposed genus or section ' Thiellus ' (see Coues, 

 Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phil. 1864, p. 122) h 



" I have two specimens of this bird before me, both obtained in the spring of 1883 

 by Mr. H. J. Snow, of Yokohama 2 . 



" In several respects this bird conforms to Latham's description of his White-breasted 

 Petrel 3 , said to inhabit Turtle and Christmas Islands ; but there are differences which 

 make it undesirable to make another, and probably fruitless, attempt to identify this 

 name, which has already been applied to (Estrelata neglecta of the Kermadec Islands. 

 Turtle Island is probably Vatoa or Turtle I., one of the Fiji group; and Christmas I. 

 the island of that name south of the Sandwich Islands." 



Dr. Stejneger, after giving a diagnosis and discussing the bird's affinities, says : — 



" Mr. Knudsen writes me in regard to the present species, which according to his 

 label is called ' Uau kane ' by the natives, that it was formerly found plentiful every 



1 "The name ' Thyellus' was proposed by Gloger in Proriep's ' Notizen,' xvi. (1827) p. 279, simply as a 

 substitute for Puffinus. Bonaparte (Consp. At. ii. p. 200) altered the spelling, and restricted it to this section 

 of Puffinus, and in so doing he was followed by Coues." 



2 " The Krusenstern Islands here referred to are apparently the small cluster of islands so named by 

 Kotzebue, which form part of the Marshall Group, and are situated in about lat. 10° 17' N., long. 190° W. 

 Tbe islands extend over an area of 15 miles long by 5 wide. The native name of the largest is Ailuk. Tbere 

 is a Krusenstern Rock lying to the westward of the Sandwich Islands ; but this can hardly be the place 

 whence these Petrels were obtained, as the sea is described as only breaking in one spot." 



3 " White-breasted Petrel, Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 400. 

 Procellaria alba, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 56-5 ; Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 822." 



