46 
PROCELLARIIFORMES 
81. Black-footed Albatross, gony. l’albatros a pattbs noires. Diomedea 
nigripes. L, 32. An almost black albatross, slightly lighter about face, with black legs 
and feet and dark bill. 
Distinctions. The bill plate covering the cuhnen widen- 
ing back of nostrils and meeting the plates on sides of 
the mandible (Figure 83, compare with 84). This feature 
separates our two most common albatrosses, the Black- 
footed and Short-tailed, from the rarer Yellow-nosed. 
Plumage, feet, legs, and bill are always dusky or black. 
The feet and bill of the similarly plumaged Short-tailed 
are light. 
Field Marks. A dark albatross with dark bill, legs* 
and feet. 
Distribution. North Pacific. Breeding on the Hawaiian 
and Marshall Islands. 
This is probably the albatross of most common occurrence off the 
British Columbia coast. There are a number of records from the south 
end of Vancouver Island and up along the Alaskan coast. 
82. Short- tailed Albatross, l’albatros A queue courte. Diomedea albatrus. 
L, 33-37. Adult: a white albatross with wings and tail largely dusky. Bill, legs, and feet 
light. Juvenile: sooty brown like the Black-footed, but with light-coloured bill, legs, 
and feet. 
Distinctions. Plate on culmen widening back to nostrils (similar to Figure 83) dis- 
tinguishes this and the preceding species from the Yellow-nosed. Adult: mostly white 
with tail largely dusky, and without the decided dark mantle and wings of the Yellow- 
nosed. Juvenile: dark like the Black-footed Albatross, but bill, legs, and feet pale. 
Field Marks. A white albatross with dusky wings and tail, but without a decided 
black mantle, or, in juvenility, a dark one with light-coloured legs, feet, and bill. 
Distribution. North Pacific Ocean, breeding on Wake, Laysan, and Bonin Islands. 
This species has been taken near Victoria, and on the Alaskan coast of 
Bering Sea. 
83. Yellow-nosed Albatross, l’albatros a nez jaune, Fhalassogeron chlororhynchus. 
L, 36. A white albatross with dark mantle and wings, pale legs and feet, and a yellow 
culmen. 
Distinctions. Plate on cuhnen narrow, not widen- 
ing behind nostrils to meet the plates of the sides of the 
mandible (Figure 84, compare with 83) distinguishes 
tliis from the previously mentioned and more common 
albatrosses. Head and neck greyish shading into a 
decidedly dark, cinnamon brown mantle and wings. 
Field Marks. A white albatross with greyish head 
and neck and a cinnamon brown mantle and wings. 
Distribution. The southern Atlantic, Pacific, and 
Indian Oceans. Of accidental occurrence on Gulf of „ ,, , 
St. Lawrence and off southern New Brunswick. These Bl11 of 1 ell ° s ^n d Albatross; 
specimens were for years referred to another species T. ’ ** 
culminatus and were so recorded. An old occurrence recorded on the west coast is now 
disregarded. 
FAMILY PROCELLARIIDAE. LESSER TUBE-NOSED SWIMMERS. 
FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS 
General Description. See previous description of order. 
Distinctions. Lesser Tube-nosed Swimmers are smaller than the albatrosses. ^ Nostril 
tubes on top of bill, fused together or separate (Figures 85-88). 
Field Marks. General coloration and flight habits. Wings stiffly held straight out 
from the body and long, steady glides on motionless wings. 
Figure 83 
Bill of Black-footed Albatross: 
