Order procellariiformes. 
Family DIOMEDEIDJE. 
No. 117. 
PHCEBASTRIA NIGRIPES. 
BLACK-FOOTED MOLLYMAWK. 
(Plate 84.) 
Diomedea nigripes Audubon, Omith. Biogr., Vol. V., pp. 327-8 (Introd. May 1st), 1839 : 
Pacific Ocean, Lat. 30°-44' N., long. 164° (Sandwich Islands). 
Diomedea nigripes Audubon, Ornith. Biogr., Vol. V., p. 327 (Introd. May 1st, 1839) ; Salvin, 
Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXV., p. 445, 1896 (pref. Dec. 16th, 1895) ; Godrnan, Monogr. 
Petrels, pt. v., p. 332, pis. 94 (ad.), 95 (irnra.), May 1910. 
Diomedea gibbosa Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Vol. XIII., p. 361, 1844, May 1st: North Pacific 
(cf. Streets Bull., U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 7, p. 31, 1877). 
Diomedea chinensis (Not Temminck) Rothschild, Avif. Laysan., pt. I., p. 55, pis. 32, col. (31 photo), 
August 1893 (Laysan Island). The plate is lettered Diomedea bracliyura (not of Temminck). 
Thalassarche nigripes Mathews, Syst. Av. Austral., p. 131, June 13th, 1927. 
Phcebastria nigripes Bent, Life Hist. N. American Petrels, etc. (Bulletin 121), pp. 1-5, pis. 1-2, 
1922. Mathews, Syst. Av. Austral., p. 907, July 11th, 1930. 
Phcebastria nigripes reischekia Mathews, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, Vol. LI., p. 29, Dec. 3rd, Nov., 1930 : 
New Zealand. 
Distribution. Central and Western Pacific Ocean, north of the Equator (breeding). 
Adult. Lores and fore-head soiled white ; crown of the head, occiput, nape, hind-neck, scapulars, 
mantle, lower back and rump deep ash-brown ; upper tail-coverts pure white ; -wing- 
coverts like the back ; primary-quills and secondaries blackish-brown, lighter towards 
the margin of the inner web ; shafts ivory-white, blackish towards the tip ; tail-feathers 
with the basal half white and. the terminal half blackish-brown ; lores, sides of face, ear- 
coverts, cheeks, chin and upper throat soiled-white ; sides of neck, fore-neck and chest 
smoky-brown ; breast and abdomen whitish-isabelline ; sides of body, flanks and thighs 
dark smoky-brown ; under tail-coverts white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries smoky- 
brown. Eyes hazel; bill, feet and legs black. Total length about 700 mm.: culmen 99, 
wing 498, tail 149, tarsus 91. 
The sexes are alike. 
Immature. A narrow line of soiled white feathers at the base of the upper mandible, remainder 
of upper-parts deep chocolate-browm, lightest on the back of the neck, rump and upper 
tail-coverts ; wings and tail like the back ; shafts ivory-white, blackish towards the tip ; 
chin and throat greyisli-isabelline, remainder of under-parts, including the under wing- 
coverts and axillaries smoky-brown, darkest on the chest and lower abdomen. o a 
length about 700 mm. : culmen 96, wing 500, tail 141, tarsus 93. Dusky Sound, New 
Zealand. Owing to a mistake the wing was said to be 425. 
Nest. A mere hollow scratched in the bare sand. , 
Eggs. Clutch one ; white, or faintly speckled ; many eggs are boldly and hand R omely s]dashe 
with dark brownish-red, in some forming a cap or wrenth abount one> end ^%88 
larger, in others extending over nearly one-half the shell. Average me t , 
X 70.3 mm. T ■ j\ 
Breeding-season . September to December (Bonin Islands); November (i va^ s an 
November to December (Laysan Island). 
Incubation-period about six weeks ; both parents sit. 
Breeding-range. Central and Western Pacific Ocean, north of the Equator. 
Non-breeding range. North Pacific Ocean, mainly north of the ^opic ^north towering Sea. 
America, south to the Equator, west to Japan and Kurile Islands, north to Lermg sea. 
One record for New Zealand, July, 1884. 
During my stay in Vienna to work up the Reischeck collectio 
birds from New Zealand, I found this specimen put away with PJioebetna skins. 
97 
