Genus — D A P T I 0 N . 
Daption Stephens, in Shaw’s Gen. ZooL, Vol. XIIl', 
pt. I., p. 239, 1826 Type D. capense, 
Calopetes Sundevall, Meth. Nat. Av. Disp. Tent., p. 142, 
1873 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Type D. capense. 
Also spelt Daptea Blasius, List Birds Europe (ed. Newton), p. 23, 1862; Daptium Coues, Checklist North Amer. 
Birds, 2nd ed., p. 126, 1882 ; and Daptrion Taczanowski, Omith. Perou., Vol., III., p. 465, 1885. 
Bill laterally widened, as if inflated. Nostrils forming a high tube, slightly 
turned upwards, and not reaching to the “ nail,” but stopping short of the 
latter by about 6 to 7 mm. Interramal space bare. First primary longest 
Number of rectrices fourteen. Tail very slightly rounded. A single species. 
In my Handlist I admitted Thalassoica antarctica Gmelin, but I have been 
unable to trace any authentic occurrence of this species in Australian waters. 
Though the genus Thalassoica has been usually considered as being closely 
allied to Priocella^ and both placed far away from Daption, I consider that 
Thalassoica\ bears somewhat the same relationship to Daption as the thin- 
billed Prions do to each other ; of which more later. 
In general coloration the species are very similar ; each have dark heads 
and necks, white tails with dark tips and dark primaries with white inner 
webs ; while the main difference is the diverse colouring of the back and wing- 
coverts, but this diversity is more superflcial than real. The bills do not differ 
any more than do those of the Prions, and on account of similar colouring 
these have recently been all classed as congeneric. 
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