BLUE-FOOTED PETREL. 
tail-feathers white, dusted with grey, hke the feathers on the sides of the rump ; 
forepart of head scalloped with grey and white ; a short white hne immediately below 
the eye, followed by a very dark grey one ; base of forehead, throat, and entire under- 
surface white, including the axillaries and under wing-coverts, some of the mar- 
ginal under wing-coverts blackish ; “ Bill black, iris black, feet pale purphsh-blue, 
webs darker ” (BuUer). Total length 270 mm. ; culmen 26, wing 235, tail 97, 
tarsus 33. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but lighter above. Culmen 23 mm. ; wing 213, 
tail 91, tarsus 30. 
Nest. A chamber lined with leaves, etc., at the end of a burrow (Reischek). 
Egg. Clutch, one ; pure white ; axis 53 mm., diameter 42. 
Breeding-season. September, October, and November (Buller). 
From Mr. Reischek’ s notes* I gather that, “ on the North-eastern portion, 
near the centre of the Little Barrier Island, in October, 1882, he dug out a pair 
of these birds which had come ashore to clean out their burrows. This is done 
by the male and female, with their bills and feet. In some cases these burrows 
were twelve, but usually from four to eight feet long, and from four to six inches 
in diameter. At the end of the burrow two chambers were made from twelve 
to eighteen inches long ; twelve deep, and from six to twelve high ; in each 
chamber is a hollow filled with leaves, moss, or fine grass. These burrows are 
made sometimes in the stiffest clay. After sunset the birds begin to call ‘ Ti, ti, 
ti,’ repeated rapidly, which is a signal to assemble, after which they fly out to sea 
and do not return till before sunrise. On the 1st of November when the 
birds had returned as usual to their burrows, a pecufiar gurgling noise was 
noticed, hah an hour later a bird came out and flew off, returning at sunset, but 
only flew round the entrance several times and then went off again, returning 
the following night, and entering the burrow, the same peculiar gurgling was 
repeated. A little later on a bird came out and flew away returning at sunrise 
and entering the burrow. After some time a bird came out and flew away. 
The remaining bird proved on dissecting to be a female sitting on her egg. 
The male was never found incubating. 
“ When the young is hatched, both the male and female rear it, and it is 
about full grown in March.” 
Sandagerf says these birds strike the lantern on Mokohinou Island, on 
thick nights in October and November, while going to their breeding-place on 
the north-east end of the Little Barrier Island. 
The original description is herewith given : — 
Procellaria cookii. Proeellaria velox Banks. Icon, ined., b. 16 ? \ 
Grey above, with the apex on each feather narrowly margined, as well as their bases, 
white ; oblong spot below each eye ; wing-coverts, secondaries, and quills brownish-black, 
with the basal portion of the inner webs of the two last, white ; the front, cheeks, under 
* Trans. New Zeal. Inst. 1885, Vol. XVIII., p. 92, 1886. 
t ib., 1889, Vol. XXII., p. 291, 1890. 
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