bird and differ greatly in coloration from all tern eggs known to us, but 
they possess the same fine grain, showing only under the magnifying glass 
fine pores and have a rather smooth feel* 
P. nugax has been observed up to the present in the following lo¬ 
calities: on the east coast of Australia, in the northeastern part of New 
Zealand, on the island of Norfolk (Gould), Lord Howes Island (Gray), 
Christmas Island (Gray) and by GrSffe on Viti and McKeans Island (Phoenix 
group). McGillivray found in July l8$4 nesting areas of this species on 
Royal Island. The two eggs are snow-white. 
The egg sent in by Dr. Gr&ffe is not snow-white but has a slightly 
yellowish tint and is somewhat shiny on the surface. Due to the fine, 
shallow but clearly visible pores it does not feel completely smooth. In 
form it is rather similar to the eggs of Puffinus cinereus and major but 
is less pointed, rather long, the two halves are almost identical, whereby 
the pointed end contrasts very little. Length l n 10 ,n . Width l"3 ,n . 
McKeans Island (Phoenix group), collected by Godeffroy. The entire 
top, along with the lores, narrow under the eye and the posterior cheek 
region dark smoky brown and black, the base of the feathers white; sides 
of the head and entire underside, along with under wing linings and 
axiilaries white; only the smallest wing liners on the underside of the 
fore edge -- brown. The feathers of the sides of throat and breasts are 
sooty brown with white tips. The feathers of the tarsus and undertail- 
coverts sooty brown, with fine white tips; the lateral undertail-coverts 
whitish on inside vane. The secondaries and primaries are a lighter brown 
on the inner vane than on the outer, changing toward the base to pale white, 
grayish on the underside. The bill is black; legs and toes blackish gray, 
Inner side of the legs brownish; webs light, pale brownish. In life, iris, 
feet and bill black (il) (Graffe). Nestlings from the same locality were 
covered by long, soft down, dusky, gray-brown on the upper parts and white 
on the under parts. Bill blackish-brown. Length circa ll ,f . Wings 6 f, 10 ,? ’. 
Secondaries 2 t? 9 ,tf . Primaries 2 ff . Vanes ll’ f? . Bill height at base 4 ,n . 
Length l6 ftr . M. Z. 15 f ”. 
This typical Puffinus Is most similar in size and overall color dis¬ 
tribution to P. nugax. Sol. (assimilis. Gould) and P. obscurus. Gml. It 
differs from P. nugax in its sooty brown undertail coverts and in the fact 
that the sooty black of the head also covers the lores, the under-eye region 
and the cheek area. These parts are white in the nugas. P. dichrousis 
therefore even more similar to P. obscurus, differing however from the 
latter due to the whitish inner vane of the lateral undertail-coverts. In 
this respect P. dichrous is to obscurus as P. anglorum is to yelkuan. Since 
we with Schlegel consider the difference in coloration of the undertail 
coverts important enough for species differentiation for the Puffinus species, 
we must consider this a new species. But if later studies indicate that 
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