THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
These latter pointed out the erratic distribution that would ensue from the 
recognition of two species, but it seems that the extraordinary recurrence of the 
blue and brown in the one species would be quite as strange. I would diagnose 
the two species thus : The one brown-black, wearing browner, almost black 
when young, lores mostly dark, inner web of primary- quills dark, under tail- 
coverts mostly dark, slightly larger and with a slightly longer bill ; the other 
blue-black, lighter when young with whitish tips to feathers, lores mostly white, 
inner web of primary-quills mostly white, under tail-coverts mostly white, 
slightly less and with a slightly shorter bill. 
The former inhabits the Mid-Pacific (Pelew Islands, Caroline Islands, 
Samoa Islands, Phoenix Islands, Fiji, New Hebrides), Galapagos Archipelago, 
Seychelles, Cape Verde Islands and the West Indies, Bahamas and Bermudas. 
The latter breeds at Norfolk Island, the Kermadecs, New Zealand, Chatham 
Islands, West Australia, ? Reunion, Gough Island, the Canaries, Madeira and 
? Azores. It is quite puzzling to account for the presence of a brown bird at 
Cape Verde while a blue one is found at Gough Isle, the Canaries, Madeira, and 
brown again in the West Indies, whether one or two species are recognised. 
I have already indicated all the forms I have met with, so that it now 
remains only to determine the names to be used for these. I have shown that 
Procellaria dbscura Gmelin cannot be used for any of the birds here discussed. 
The earliest name absolutely applicable to either of these groups is Puffinus 
assimilis Gould, and as it was proposed for a blue-black it becomes the species- 
name for those forms. 
The next name is Lesson’s Puffinus Iherminieri, and as it was introduced 
for a brown-black bird that name must be used as the species-name for those 
forms. Forster’s Procellaria gavia was a blue-backed bird, and this name 
becomes available for the New Zealand form of P. assimilis. It seems strange 
that it should have been continually used for a bird with which the description 
disagrees so much in all the points in which it proves referable to the P. asshnilis 
bird. 
For the Pelew bird, with which I associate the Caroline specimens, Hartlaub’s 
name of minor is available. Bonaparte’s Puffinus haroli must be used for the 
Madeiran form, while his P. hailloni was proposed for a bird from the Isle of 
France. 
Finsch and Hartlaub’s Puffinus dicTirous given to the Phoenix Island bird 
may clash with P. tenehrosus Pelzeln, but no series are yet available. Giglioli 
and Salvador!’ s P. elegans is certainly applicable to the Gough Island bird. 
Nectris 7nunda, as introduced by Salvin in Rowley’s Ornith. Miscell.^ must 
be used for a bird answering Solander’s description, which is reproduced above, 
the type-locality being the first-mentioned, viz., lat. 48° 21' S., long. 93° W. 
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