288 



AVIFAUNA OF LAYS AN, ETC. 



89. PUFFINUS NEWELLI, Hemh. 



Pvffinus newelli, Henshaw, Auk, xvii. p. 246 (1900). 



I uo not know this Petrel, and therefore quote Mr. Henshaw's original description and 

 information : — 



"Above, including upper surface of wings and tail, clear and somewhat glossy black. 

 Border of under wing-coverts black. Beneath, including under tail-coverts, pure white. 

 Maxilla and edge and tip of mandible black ; rest of maxilla light brown. Tarsus and feet 

 light yellow, but black along the outer posterior side of tarsus, the outer toe, and half the 

 middle toe. Wing 8'65 inches, tail 3*75, bill 1*28, tarsus 1-80. 



" The above is a description of a Shearwater obtained by Mr. M. Newell of Hilo (Brother 

 Matthias of the Catholic Brotherhood) in Waihee Valley, Island of Ulani, in the spring of 

 1894, and by him recently presented to the author. The sex was not determined. The bird 

 was taken from its burrow with several others by natives and brought to Mr. Newell alive. 

 The latter saved two specimens. One, the type, is in my possession ; the other is probably 

 still extant and in Honolulu. 



" In 1894 the species was numerous enough in the above-mentioned locality, but its 

 present status is doubtful, for the mongoose, which is rapidly exterminating the native 

 Puffins elsewhere upon the islands, is an inhabitant also of Ulani. 



" As this Puffin was quite unknown to me, and as no account of it appears in either 

 Rothschild's or Wilson's works upon the Island birds, I sent the specimen to Mr. Ridgway, 

 who kindly compared it with National Museum material. Mr. Ridgway's remarks upon the 

 specimen are as follows :— < The Puffin which you sent for identification is without doubt a 

 new species. It comes nearest to P. cmricularis, Townsend, of Clarion Island (Revillagigedo 

 group, N.W. Mexico), but differs in blacker colour of upper parts, wholly white malar region, 

 more extensive, more uniform, and more abruptly white anterior and central under tail- 

 coverts, more extensive and 'solid' blackish border to under wing-covert region, and 

 especially in the very abrupt line of demarkation along sides of neck between the black of 

 upper parts and white of underparts. P. auricularis also has the bill entirely black and also 

 stouter.' 



" The species is dedicated to Mr. Newell, who has paid considerable attention to Hawaiian 

 birds and has made extensive collections.'' 



Besides the type there are two or three examples in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 

 in Honolulu. 



