SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL. 
Nostra avis differt a Procellaria Pujfino Linn, colore pedum, remigum, rectricum, 
genaramque ; a Diomedea am Raji & magnitudine & colore rostri ; ab ave aqua' 
superficium radente Raji & Willughb. colore pedum ; a Pufflno primo Briss. colore 
rostri pedum caudaque ; a Puffino cinereo Briss cui valde similis colore pedum, 
cum Puffino Anglorum Rayi and Willughb. convenit, sed pedes ab illis. non descripta. 
A Puffino Anglorum Edwardi toto coelo differt 
Regarding this latter, it will be noted that Solander has written “Fig. Piet.,” 
but there is no figure that can be referred to the description. 
Recently Salvador! {Ihis, 1900, p. 298) has separated the species of 
Fterodroma breeding in the North Atlantic from P. mollis, which breeds in the 
South Atlantic, under the name P. fece. He wrote : “ Most probably (E. fece 
is confined to the islands off the western coast of Africa, north of the Equator. 
. . . From what we know of the geographical distribution of the two allied 
species, (E. mollis and (E. fece, it appears that the first not only never crosses 
the Equator, but has never been found north of the 20th or perhaps of the 
30th parallel, so that the areas of the two species are widely separated.” If 
this be acknowledged, the recognition of P. 7nollis in Australian waters need not 
be thought of. 
In the Monograph is included a specimen as representing the “ dark phase ” 
of this species. This bird has no authentic locality, and also seems to have 
little relationship with P. mollis, as both P. inollis and P. fece otherwise show 
not the least signs of dimorphism. 
The bird figured and described is the supposed Australian record. 
165 
