THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
The bird figured and described is a female, collected at Botany Bay, 
near Sydney, New South Wales. 
The synonymy of this bird is most difficult to unravel ; when adult, the bill 
is so characteristic that the species cannot fail to be recognized. In its juvenile 
state it is also easy to identify when its features are known : thus it is smaller, 
paler, and has a shorter bill than members of the genus Heteroprion. 
Bearing in mind these details, I make out that this is the bird described 
by Kuhl as P. turtur, figured and described by Smith as P. turtur, described 
(and probably figured) by Gould in the Birds of Australia as P. turtur^ noted by 
Gould as P. ariel, described by Gould as P. brevirostris, introduced by Schlegel 
as P. ariel, and described and made the type of the genus Pseudoprion by Coues 
as P. turtur Gould. It is the P. turtur of Hutton’s Cat. Birds New. Zeal., 1871, 
and of BuUer’s Birds New Zeal., 1873, since which time it has been more 
generally known under the name of P. ariel or P. brevirostris Gould. 
Whether it is the P. turtur of Solander or not seems impossible to decide. 
The detailed description leaves the matter still open to doubt, but Parkinson’s 
drawing makes the bill heavy with a largish nail, so that it would appear that 
this was the bird. 
Solander’s description is as follows : — 
turtur Procellaria supra ca'rulescenti-cana, subtus alba pedibus ca'ruleis, palma albida, 
rostro toto angusto plumbeo 
Fig. Piet. 
Habitat in Oceano Americes antarctico, a Terra del Fuego austral! : Latit. austr. gr LIX 
(Febr 1, 1769) 
Mother Carey’s Dove 
Caput & Collum supra & Dorsum & Uropygium amoene e ca'ruleo-cana nitida : capitis 
latera alba ; vitta suboculari plumbea 
Gula, Collum subtus, Pectus, Abdomen, Crissus & Femora alba 
Ala' longissima', angusta', supra plumbea', dorso obscuriores subtus alba' 
Cauda cuneata, brevis, plumbea, apice nigricans subtus pallidior 
Rostrum paUide plumbeum, angustam rectum 
Mandibula superior superne ante nares depressa planiuscula, imde sulcus obliquus cute 
repletus ad sinum extenditur 
Nares e cylindro brevi, rostro quadruplo breviore, bilocular! 
Dissepimentum orificum etjam divides 
Mandibula inferior recta apice vix adimca, rima longitudinal! cutacea, antice dilatata, 
truncata 
Pedes pallide sed amoene ca'rulei, ut et digit! tres anteriores, quo'rum membrana 
connectens albida, subdiaphana est 
Digitus posticus minutus nigricans 
Ungues nigricantes, lanceolati, acuti 
Longitudo ab apice rostri ad finem eauda' 11 i 
inter apices alarum expans 22^ y unc. 
rostri IJ ) 
Pondus 4 unc. 
218 
