Order PROCELLARIIFORMES. 
Family PROCELLARIIDJE. 
No. 135. 
PTERODROMA BECKI. 
NEW IRELAND PETREL. 
(Plate 102.) 
Pterodroma becki Murphy, Amer. Mus. Novit., No. 322, p. 1, July 14th, 1928. Lat. 155° E., 
Long. 3° S. (East of New Ireland, and north of Buka and Bougainville Islands, Solomon 
Group. Practically between the Bismarck Archepelago and the Solomon Group). 
Adult female. Upper surface, including the head, nape and back, blackish-brown, most of the 
feathers with lighter margins ; wings like the back, but without the lighter margins ; rump 
brownish ; tail blackish-brown ; throat and breast dark brown, many of the feathers with 
lighter margins ; all dark feathers with grey bases ; remainder of under-surface white ; 
sides of the body light brown, which colour extends on the sides right to the tail-coverts ; 
shafts of the wing- and tail-feathers basally white ; inner webs of the wing-feathers greyish ; 
under aspect of the wing light brown shading to greyish towards the primaries. Eyes 
browm, bill black, tarsus and the first joint of the two inner toes yellowish ; remainder 
of the toes and webs black, including the first joint of the outer toe and the outside of the 
tarsus as far as the hind toe. Total length 293 mm.: culmen 25.6, wing 245, tail 398, tarsus 36, 
middle toe and claw 45. 
The sexes are alike. 
This bird is very like rostrata [of which the average measurements of five females are :— 
Wing 295 ; tail 114 ; culmen 37 mm. ; tarsus 47 ; middle toe and claw 58.6] but seems 
lighter on the rump and breast, and has the feathers mentioned above with lighter margins. 
Distribution. The seas between the Solomon Group and Birmarck Archepelago. Three skins 
known. 
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