Oeder TUBINAEES.] 
[Fam. PEOCELLAEIIDiE. 
DIOMEDEA EXULANS. 
(WANDERING ALBATROS.) 
Uiomedea exulans, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 214 (1766). 
Diomedea alhatrns, Pall. Spic. Zool. fasc. v. p, 28 (1769). 
Chocolate Albatros, Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. pt. 1, p. 309 (1785). 
L' Alhatros du Cap de Bonne Bsp6rance, Buff. PI. Enl. x. pi. 237 (1786). 
Diomedea spadicea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 568 (1788, ex Lath.). 
Diomedea adusta, Tschudi, J. f. 0. 1856, p. 157. 
Native name. — Toroa. 
Ad. albus : interscapulio indistincte bruniieo fasciatim vermiculato : tectricibus alarum nigris vix brunnescentibus, 
majoribus intcrioribus plus minusve albis, margine carpal! albo et brunneo vario : remigibus brunnescenti- 
nigris, apicem versus pallklioribus, scapis flavicanti-albidis : scapularibus albis, ad apicem nigris : dorso 
postico et uropygio, supracaudalibus caud^que albis, hac nigro apicat^, rectricibus exterioribus basaliter 
brunneo irregulariter transvermiculatis : subtus pure albus, pectore indistincte brunneo veriniculatim 
fasciato : rostro albido, carnoso vix tineto, ad apicem flavicanti-corneo : pedibus carneo-albicantibus : iride 
saturate brunnea : annulo ophthalmico viridi-purpurascente. 
Juv. suprk fuliginoso-brunneus : alis caudaque fuliginoso-nigris, scapis flavicanti-albis, versus apicem nigris : fronte 
cum facie lateral! et gutture pure albis : subtus fuliginoso-brunneus, abdomine magis cinerascente : sub- 
alaribus et axillaribus albis, his versus apicem brunneo vermiculatis : rostro albicanti-corneo : pedibus 
albicanti-carneis : iride nigricanti-brunne^. 
Adult. General plumage pure white ; the feathers of the back and those composing the mantle crossed more or 
less with narrow wavy lines of brown ; the breast and sides of the body obscurely freckled and vermiculated 
with pale brown ; upper surface of wings blackish brown, varied with pale brown and white along the edges, 
and with an extensive patch of white on the humeral flexure ; primaries brownish black, with paler tips and 
yellowish-white shafts ; secondaries brownish black, largely marked with white on their inner webs ; scapulars 
white on their basal portion, black towards the tips ; tail-feathers largely marked with black in their apical 
portion, and the outer ones more or less vermiculated with brown ; lining of wings and under tail-coverts 
pure white. Irides rich dark brown ; bare eyelids greenish purple ; bill white, with a pinky tinge, yellowish 
hom-eoloured at the tip ; legs and feet flesh- white, sometimes with a pinky tinge. Total length 42' 5 inches ; 
wing, from carpal flexure, 24 ; tail 8' 5 ; bill, following the curvature of upper mandible 7 ; length of lower 
mandible 6; depth of bill at the base 2'5 ; bare tibia 1'5 ; tarsus 5 ; middle toe and claw 6‘5 ; greatest width 
of expanded foot 6'5. 
Obs. The measurements given above are those of an ordinary-sized bird captured off the New-Zealand coast by 
the seamen of H.M.S. 'Virago;’ the size, however, is variable, and much larger examples are sometimes 
taken. For example, I saw in the possession of the first mate of the steamboat ' Stella ’ the head and neck 
of one of extremely large size, with the whole plumage of the purest white, the bill of which gave the 
following measurements : — Length from gape to tip 6’5 inches j following curvature of upper mandible 8'5 ; 
and along edge of lower mandible 6'5. 
Professor Hutton gives for this species an ” average breadth across the wdngs of 10 feet, the smallest 
being 9 feet and the largest 12 feet”; another writer mentions having measured one which yielded an 
extreme extent, from tip to tip, of 17 feet. My largest, however, is barely 14 feet across. 
