Order PROCELLAEIIFORMES. 
No. 75 
Family PROCELLARIIDM. 
PROCELLARIA ^EQUINOCTIALIS. 
(STEADI.) 
WHITE-CHINNED PETREL. 
(Plate 57.) 
Procellaria ^quinoctialis Linne, Syst. Nat., 10th edn., p. 132, Jan. 1st, 1758 : Cape Seas. 
Majaques cequinoctialis Salvin, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXV., p. 395, 1896 (pref. Dec. 16th, 1895): 
Partim; Godman, Monogr. Petrels, p. 169, pi. 44, pt. m., Sept. 1908 (bird figured from 
Valparaiso). 
Procellaria cequinoctalis steadi Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. II., pt. i., pp. 112 (head figured) and 
114, May 30th, 1912 : Antipodes Island (breeding) ; Mathews and Iredale, Manual Birds 
Austr., Vol. I., p. 29, March 9th, 1921 ; Ma thews, Syst. Avium Australas., p. 117, June 13th, 
1927. 
Distribution. New Zealand seas (breeding on Antipodes and Auckland Islands); East 
Australian seas. 
Adult female . General colour above and below sooty-black w T ith brown edges to the feathers on 
the upper-surface ; interramal space white. Bill, with the sides of the upper mandible 
and the nasal tubes, blue ; culmen and unguis black ; the low T er edge of the low er mandible 
flesh-colour ; feet and legs black. Total length 490 mm. : culmen 52, wing 382, tail 126, 
tarsus 62. Antipodes Islands (figured). 
Adult male. Similar to the adult female, but larger. Total length 510 mm.: culmen 56, 
wing 388, tail 122, tarsus 67. 
Young . These take on practically the adult plumage after losing the down of immaturity. 
Nest. A hollowed-out circular chamber at the end of a tunnel, made in the side of a slope. 
Eggs . Clutch one ; white, with a cream tinge. Later, they get nest-stained and covered over 
with a rust-colour. 72 to 87 mm. by 50 to 54. (Average 77*8 by 53*6.) 
Breeding-season. December (fresh eggs). Young birds fully fledged remain in the nesting-chamber 
till the following May. 
In my Birds of Australia , as quoted, pi. 79, I figured conspicillata from a 
specimen caught at sea oft the Cape of Good Hope. Gould figured such a 
specimen in his Birds of Australia , part xxxv. (Vol. VII., pi. 46), which he said 
came from Australian seas. Gould’s “ Australian seas ” practically meant 
“ south of the line”. 
I have never heard of an authentic occurrence of conspicillata in Australian 
waters. Every specimen examined has been caught hi South African seas. 
I am therefore rejecting this species from the Australian List. 
In Vol. II. of my work, p. Ill, I gave a drawing of a specimen with an 
extensive white chin patch. This sub-species probably breeds on Kerguelen 
Islands and the Crozets. Carter collected it at sea on April 26th, 1909, and 
gives the bill as yellow, culmen and tip black. On p. 112 I gave a drawing 
of the present sub-species from Antipodes Island and on p. 114 gave full 
particulars. The measurement of the wing varies between 382 and 388 mm. 
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