84 Cory on New Species of Procellariidce . 
followed. It will be seen at once, by those who care to examine 
the references above given, that I have borrowed freely from the 
labours of Nitzsch, Huxley, Sundevall, Parker, and Garrod — au- 
thors who have lately shed a flood of light upon one of the most 
difficult zoological problems of the day, the best arrangement of 
the class of birds. My system is, in fact, that of Prof. Huxley’s 
reversed, i. e. beginning at the top instead of the bottom, with 
slight alterations and emendations extracted from the works of the 
other authors above mentioned. 
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF THE 
FAMILY PRO CELLAR ILDNC . 
BY CHARLES B. CORY. 
/ 
Puffinus borealis. Above brownish-ash, the feathers of the back 
becoming pale at the tips, those on the nape and sides of the neck narrow- 
ly tipped with white ; on the sides of the neck and head the ash and white 
gradually mingling as in P. kuhlii. Tips of the upper tail coverts, white. 
Under eyelid, white, showing clearly in contrast with the ashy gray of the 
head. The first three primaries are light ash on the inner webs. Wings 
and tail brownish-gray. Under parts, white, slightly touched with ash 
on the flanks, lining of wings white. Under tail coverts white, the longest 
tinged with ash near the ends, which extend nearly to the tips of the 
longest tail feathers. Outside of foot greenish-black, inside and webs dull 
orange, bill pale yellowish at the base shading into greenish-black but 
again becoming pale near the tip. 
Length, 20.50 inches; wing. 14.50; bill (straight line to tip), 2.25; 
depth at base, .75; tail, 6.50; tarsus, 2.20. 
The type specimen of this Shearwater was killed near Chatham 
Island, Cape Cod, Mass., on the nth of October last. Being un- 
acquainted with it I showed it to some fishermen and requested 
them to procure any birds they might meet with resembling it. 
During the afternoon one of t^ie boats returned bringing a number 
of birds of this species. The men stated that they had met with 
a flock a short distance from shore and had shot several and 
knocked others down with their oars. According to their 
statement, after firing the first shot, the birds flew about them in 
a dazed manner often passing within a few feet of the boat. 
