BROWN-BACKED LITTLE SHEARWATER. 
It is owing to the investigations of Dr. Robert C. Murphy, of the New York 
Museum, that we owe full particulars of this very interesting species. At 
the quotations given, Murphy has worked out the sub-species and distribution 
of all the known forms. 
From his series he diagnoses this sub-species as : “ A large, exceptionally 
dark-hued race of PuJJinus Iherminieri with a long and slender bill. The 
measurements are : wing, 207-213 mm. (average 209); tail, 73-77 (75 - 5); 
exposed culmen, 29-31 (30T); width of bill at the base, 11-12 (11‘7); tarsus, 
41-43 (42); middle toe with claw, 43-46 (44-5).” 
In my Birds of Australia, as quoted, I worked out this species which, up 
till that time, had been confused with assimilis of Gould. On p. 60 I gave 
Solander’s diagnosis and on p. 72 gave an English translation. 
Now it would seem that the bird breeds in the New Hebrides. 
In my Systema, Volume II., p. 905, 1930, I considered montaguei to 
be this bird. Since describing gunax I know this to be wrong. 
The type of montaguei was a sun- and water-dried specimen, a mummy, 
washed up on the sea-shore of New Caledonia. It was picked up by the late 
P. D. Montague, who Avas collecting birds for me in 1914, on this island before 
the war. It was impossible to make a skin of it. I described it thus: ‘"All 
the upper-surface, including the head, side of neck, back, upper tail-coverts, 
tail and Avings sooty ; all the under-surface, including the wing- and tail-coverts, 
white. Wing 197 mm., culmen 32, tail 59, tarsus 41 ”, and so a gavia bird. 
Dr. R. C. Murphy folloAA r s me in admitting that this form is quite distinct 
from assimilis (Birds of Australia, Vol. II., p. 68, May 30th, 1912); he says :— 
A. Upper surface A r arving betAveen slate colour and slaty black, but 
always Avith a trace of broAvn. Legs blue. 
Inner Avebs of the primaries largely AAdiite, under tail-coverts Avhite. 
Part of the loral space AAdiite . PuJJinus assimilis. 
B. Upper surface varying from blackish-broAAm to sooty black, but 
always broAvnish rather than slaty. Legs flesh colour. 
Inner Avebs of the primaries Avithout Avliite, under tail-coAmrts dark. 
Loral space dark. PuJJinus llierminieri. 
The average measurements of Puffnus Iherminieri are : Wing 208.2 mm., 
tail 87.2, exposed culmen 29.8, tarsus 40.3, middle toe and claw 45.8. 
