BROWN-HEADED PETREL. 
convinced me of the propriety of calling the bird Pterodro'tna melanopus Gmelin, 
and the designation of the type-locality Norfolk Island. 
Now for the explanation of my synonymy : The description by Latham of 
a bird in the Leverian Museum is applicable in every detail, save size and habitat ; 
the latter was quite unknown, and the former is of little consequence in many of 
Latham’s descriptions. Note that it is smaller in this case exactly as in that 
of the Grey Petrel, and that both these birds were deseribed from the Leverian 
Museum, so that it may have been due to the manner of setting them up. The 
character, “ all round the base of the bill, the chin, and throat pale silvery grey, 
marked with minute dusky specks,” is diagnostic of the bird described by 
Gould as P. solandri and Hull as 0. montana. Note again the description, 
“ upper parts . . . dusky black, inclining to hoary on the back,” “ the under 
parts of the body hoary ash-colour.” These details seem quite sufficient to 
absolutely fix the identity of Gmelin’ s P. melanopus with the Norfolk Island 
Petrel. In the description in Philhps’s Voyage, which was also drawn up by 
Latham, we find the distinctive features noted, “ the head as far as the eyes, the 
chin and throat, waved, brown and dusky white,” “the upper parts of a sooty 
brown.” It will be noted that the slate-coloration of the back is not here 
included, otherwise the description is quite clear. 
Gould’s description of his P. solandri states, “ back slate-gray, each feather 
margined with dark brown,” and makes no mention of the mottling on the 
face, which is however quite a noticeable feature. 
In Phillips’s Plate the legs and feet are shown parti-coloured, as they are 
described by Latham. In the Watling drawing No. 282, which undoubtedly 
represents this species, the distinctive mottling is shown, and the feet are given 
as parti-coloured. Gould’s P. solandri had the feet all black, and Salvin laid too 
much stress upon this latter feature, or he would have collated much of the 
synonymy here given. My friend Mr. Tom Iredale, tells me that this was 
one of the points he was interested in with regard to the Kermadec Island Petrel, 
and found that though practically all the light birds had parti-coloured feet, 
and the majority of the dark birds all-dark feet, quite commonly all-dark 
birds were met with which had parti-coloured feet. The truth of this is 
evidenced by the type of 0. montana Hull, as that specimen shows fully the 
parti-coloured feet which the author describes thus : “ Tarsi and first Joint 
of inner toe horn-colour.” 
The only conclusions possible are those shown in my synonymy, viz. : — 
P. melanopus Gmelin, Norfolk Island=P. solandri Gould, Bass Strait= 
P. phillipii Gray, Norfolk lsland=0. jnontana Hull, Lord Howe Island. 
But now comes another most interesting feature of this problem and its 
solution. Mr. Hull quite correctly pointed out that Dr. Metcalfe’s eggs from 
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