Order PROCELLARIIFORMES. 
No. 56. 
Family DI0MEDE1DM. 
DIOMEDEA EPOMOPHORA. 
ROYAL ALBATROSS. 
(Plate 40.) 
Diomedea Linn6, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 132, Jan. 1st, 1758. Type (by subsequent designation 
of Gray, p. 78, 1840) : Diomedea exulans Linne (for synonyms cf. Birds of Austr., Vol. 
2, p. 240, 1912, and Syst. Av. Australas., p. 129, 1927). 
Diomedea efohophora Lesson, Ann. Sci. Nat. Paris, Vol. VI., p. 95, 1825 : Campbell Island. 
Diomedea epomophora Lesson, Ann. Sci. Nat. Paris, Vol. VI., p. 95, 1825 ; Mathews and Iredale, 
Manual Birds Austr., p. 57, March 9th, 1921. 
Diomedea regia Buller, Trans. New Zealand Inst., Vol. XXIII., p. 234, 1891, May : Campbell 
Island. (Figured Buller, Birds New Zeal., 2nd, p. 40, top fig.) ; Salvin, Cat. Birds Brit. 
Mus., Vol. XXV., p. 443, 1896, pref. Dec. 16th, 1895 ; Mathews, Handl. Birds Austr., 
p. 19, Jan. 1908 ; Godman, Monogr. Petrels, p. 319, pi. 90, May 1910. 
Diomedea epomophora epomophora Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 258, July 31st, 1912; 
Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 41, Dec. 1913 ; id., Syst. Av. Australas., p. 130, 1927. 
Diomedea epomophora mccormicki. 
Diomedea epomophora mccormicki Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 261, July 31st, 1912: 
Auckland Island (Fig. Godman, Monogr. Petrels, pi. 90) ; id., Syst. Av. Australas, p. 130, 
1927. 
Distribution. Auckland Island [Antarctica ?], Campbell Island to New Zealand and Australian 
Seas. 
Adult. Snow-white on the head, neck, back, tail and all the under-surface, including the under 
wing-coverts and axillaries ; on the lower back and rump a few narrow cross-bars may be 
seen, but it is probable these disappear with age ; a few dark speckles are sometimes 
seen towards the tips of the outer tail-feathers ; scapidars white at the base, the ends 
being cross-barred in some and black in others ; wing coloration generally black, an 
indistinct olecranal patch of white being noticeable on the oldest specimen, the feathers 
along the bend of the w r ing showing white tips; primaries black, the inner webs white 
towards their bases ; secondaries mostly white on the iimer web ; eyes very dark brown, 
almost black ; bare eyelids jet-black ; bill white, with a roseate or pinky tinge in life, 
yellowish horn-coloured on the terminal hook; legs and feet flesh-white. Total length 
2,050 mm.: culmen 170, wing 660, tarsus 117, tail 206. Figured. Collected on 
Auckland Island on the 30th of November, 1840. 
The sexes are alike. 
Immature, with down still adhering, agrees in detail with the preceding ; it has fewer white 
markings on the wing and the cross-bars on the rump and lower back are more pronounced, 
with longer, black ends to the scapulars ; these seem the only noticeable differences ; 
the tail is as white and the bill more dully coloured. 
Nestling. Just commencing to lose the down, similar to the immature described; bill dark 
coloured ; tail pure white. 
Nestling. Covered with pure white down, thick and woolly in appearance. 
Nest. Apparently like that of Diomedea exulans rothschildi. 
Egg. White. Dimensions 126 by 795 mm. 
Breeding-season. From December, when the birds commence to lay. 
108 
