NATATORES. 



411 



5. Procellaria parvirostris, Peale. 

 ProceUaria parvirostris, Peale, Zool. U. S. Exp. Exp. Birds, p. 298 (1848). 

 Plate XL. 



Capite, collo, corporeque supra, fuliginosls, abdomine crissoque alhis. 

 Statura P. molUs. Long. tot. 12 poll ices. 



Form. — About the size of Procellaria mollis, Gould, and resembling 

 that species in form, but not in color. Bill rather slender ; wing 

 long, reaching beyond the end of the tail ; first quill longest ; tail 

 moderate, cuneate ; legs rather slender ; toes long, fully webbed. 



Dimensions. — Total length, male (of skin), about twelve inches ; 

 wing eleven inches ; tail four and a half inches. " Total length four- 

 teen and a half inches ; extent of wings thirty-six inches." (Peale.) 



Colors. — Head, neck, and entire upper parts, dark fuliginous, lighter 

 on the neck before. Abdomen and under coverts of the tail white ; 

 sides and flanks with some dashes of fuliginous ; quills and tail dark 

 fuliginous ; the former nearly black. Feathers on the throat and 

 neck in front white at base. Bill black ; " irides dark brown ; feet 

 bluish flesh-color ; the toes all black from the first joint." (Peale.) 



Hab. — Pacific Ocean. Honden Island. Specimen in Nat. Mus. 

 Washington. 



This species, which we have not been able to identify with any 

 other that we have found described, very considerably resembles Pro- 

 cellaria mollis, Gould, in size, and all other characters derived from 

 form and organization, but is totally different in color from any speci- 

 men of that species that we have seen. The colors of the legs and 

 feet are, however, in prepared specimens, precisely similar. For the 

 reasons here indicated, it is not without doubt that we give this bird 

 as a species. 



Mr. Peale states that this species " breeds on the Coral Islands. 

 Our specimen was killed near Honden Island, of the Dangerous Archi- 



