412 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



pelago, on the 20th of August. Its flight was rapid, and its general 

 appearance and actions^ when flying, is Hke a Lestris." 

 One specimen only is in the collection. 



6. Pkocellaria eostrata, Peale. 



Procellaria rostrata, Peale, Zool. U. S. Exp. Exp. Birds, 296 (Ist ed. 1848). 



Plate XLI. 



Capite, cdllo, corporeque supra, fuUginosis, abdomine crissoque alhis, 

 rostro magno, valido. Siatura P. Lessonii. Long. tot. 14 poUices. 



Form. — About the size of, and of general form of Procellaria Lessonii. 

 Garnot, but not of the same color. Bill large, strong ; wings 

 long, reaching, when closed, beyond the end of the tail ; first quill 

 longest. Tail moderate, graduated, or cuneate ; tarsi moderate ; 

 toes long, fully webbed. 



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

 wing eleven inches ; tail four and a half inches. " Extent of wings 

 thirty-nine and a half inches." (Peale.) 



Colors. — Head, neck, and entire upper parts, fuliginous, light on 

 the throat and neck before, dark on the back and head above. Abdo- 

 men and under tail-coverts white. Wings and tail dark fuliginous ; 

 the former nearly black ; bill black ; tarsi, and base of inner toes, and 

 membrane, pale yellow (in preserved specimen) ; terminal two-thirds 

 of toes and membrane black. 



Hab. — Tahiti. Specimen in Nat. Mus. Washington. 



As with the preceding species, we are mystified somewhat with the 

 present. It is exceedingly like Procellaria Lessonii in all respects, 

 except color of plumage — that character (color) being the same 

 though in the legs and feet. 



Our examination of the two species of Procellaria, now given under 

 the names first applied to them by Mr. Peale, has led us to suspect 



