WILSON^S PETREL. 
437 
Length 18 inches, tail 5_, wing 16, tarsus 1'2, bill from gape 4*2. The 
female is of the same size. 
The Indian Skimmer or Scissordill (as it is sometimes termed, from 
the very remarkable shape of the bill) is very abundant in all the large 
rivers of the Province. Mr. Davison observed it only in the Sittang and 
Salween rivers ; but Dr. Mason records it from the Tavoy river, much 
further south. 
It is spread over the Indian peninsula, but it is not found in Ceylon. 
It is probably common in the Indo-Burmese countries ; but I cannot 
discover that it has ever been observed in China, Siara, Cochin China, or 
any portion of the Malay peninsula. 
This Skimmer frequents large rivers, both where the water is tidal and 
where it is sweet. It occurs in flocks, some of these occasionally number- 
ing several hundred individuals, but more usually they go in small 
companies of only four or five. They rest on sand-banks during the day- 
time and become very active towards dnsk, flying about and skimming 
the surface of the water in a very graceful fashion. They appear to feed 
principally on oil and fatty matter floating on the water, for I have never 
seen them plunge into the water to capture fish. Occasionally they come 
inland and fly over ponds and backwaters. They breed on sand- banks in 
March and April, laying four eggs on the bare sand. 
Order XVI. TUBINARES. 
Family PROCELLARIIDiE. 
Genus OCEANITES, Keys. & Bias. 
776. OCEANITES OCEANICUS. 
WILSON^S PETKEL. 
Procellaria oceanica, KuU, Beitr. z. Zool. p. 136, p]. 10. fig. 1. Procellaria 
wilsoni, Bo7iap. Journ. Acad. Phil. iii. pt. 2, p. 231, pi. 9. fig-. 2. Thalas- 
sidroma wilsoni, Gould, B. Austr. vii. pi. 65; Butler, S. F. v. p. 291. 
Thalassidroma ?, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 827 ; Hume, S. F.il p. 317: Legge, 
S. F. iii. p. 375. Oceanites oceanicus, Sharpe, Bep. Trans. Venus Exped. 
p. 123; Dresser, Birds Eur. viii. p. 505, pi. ; Hume Dav. S. F. vi. p. 490; 
Butler, S. F. vii. p. 178 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 115; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1056. 
Description. — General colour dark sooty brown ; upper tail-coverts^ 
