Part 158

Bill rather longer than the head, nearly straight, stout, much compressed; upper mandible, with its dorsal line, much declinate, and nearly straight for a third of its length, then concave ascending to the unguis, on which it is arched and decurved in the third of a circle, the ridge broad, convex, rounded at the base, separated in its whole length by a groove, margined below, beyond the nostrils by a prominent line, from the sides, which are erect and slightly convex, the edges sharp, the unguis decurved, much compressed, with its sides flattened, and the tip acute; nostrils subbasal, prominent, tabular, having a horny sheath; lower mandible with the angle very narrow, reaching to the tip, and having at its extremity a long slender interposed horny process; the outline of the crura gently ascending, and quite straight, until near the end, when it is a little decurved, the sides ascending, nearly erect, a little convex, the edges sharp, the tip extremely compressed, its upper edges decurved. Head rather large, ovate; neck of moderate length; body full. Feet rather short, stoutish; tibia bare, below scaly; tarsus roundish, reticulated; toes three, long, slender, outer very little shorter than middle, scaly for half their length, then scutellate. Claws rather small, slender, slightly arched, somewhat obtuse. Plumage full, soft, blended, but rather fine, somewhat compact above. Wings very long, and very narrow, the humerus and cubitus extremely elongated; first quill longest. Tail of twelve broadly rounded feathers, short, rounded.

457. 1. Diomedea chlororhynchos, Gmel. Yellow-nosed Albatross.

Not figured.

Bill much compressed, its ridge convex in its whole length, but with its basal outline, although semicircular, only half an inch in extent, so that between its margins and those of the sides of the bill, there is behind the nostrils a space nearly a quarter of an inch in breadth; the ridge in its whole length, the tip of the upper mandible, and the crura of the lower along their inferior edge, yellow, the rest black; feet yellow; head and neck ash-grey; the fore part of the back shaded into blackish-grey; wings entirely brownish-black, shafts of primaries white, toward the end brownish-black; hind part of back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white; tail deep grey, the bases and shafts of the feathers white, loral space of a darker grey than the rest of the head, that colour deepening at the fore part of the eye, forming a spot which includes the whole of the upper eyelid, and the anterior half the lower, of which the other half is white; lower half of the neck anteriorly, breast, sides, abdomen, lower tail-coverts, some of the axillaries, and the larger wing-coverts white; the others being brownish-black.

Length, 37; wing, 21; bill, 5-1/4; tail, 8-1/4.

Pacific Ocean, not far from Columbia River.

Diomedea chlororhynchos, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 326.

458. 3. Diomedea nigripes, Aud. Black-footed Albatross.

Not figured.

Bill brownish-black, moderately compressed, its ridge very broad and convex at the base, its basal outline semicircular and two inches in extent, so that its sides behind overlap and obliterate the sutural space behind the nostrils; feet black; fore part of head, cheeks and throat light dusky-grey, the capistral feathers nearly white, as is a small patch at the posterior angle of the eye; upper part of head, hind neck, and all the upper parts, including the wings and tail, sooty-brown tinged with grey, as are the lower surface of the wings and the axillaries; lower parts dull grey, deeper on the fore parts and sides of the neck.

Length, 36; wings, 21; bill, 5; tail, 3.

Pacific Ocean, off California.

Black-footed Albatross, Diomedea nigripes, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 327.

459. 2. Diomedea fusca, Aud. Dusky Albatross.

Plate CCCCVII. Adult.

Bill black, much compressed, its ridge carinate, with its basal outline running up on the forehead into a very acute angle, lower mandible with a groove on each side in its whole length, as far as the unguis; feet yellow; head and upper part of the neck greyish-black, tinged with brown, the rest of the neck, all the lower parts, the back and rump light brownish-grey, scapulars darker, wings brownish-black, primary quills and tail-feathers greyish-black with white shafts; eyelids narrowly margined with white feathers, their anterior part excepted.

Adult, length, 34; wing, 21; tail, 11; bill, 4-10/12.

Off the Columbia River.

Dusky Albatross, Diomedea fusca, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 116.

GENUS III. PROCELLARIA, Linn. FULMAR.

Bill of about the length of the head, or somewhat shorter, robust, straight, moderately compressed, with the tip decurved; upper mandible with the nostrils dorsal, separated by a thin septum, covered by an elevated horny case, and opening directly forwards, the ridge nearly straight or concave in its outline, laterally sloping or convex, separated by a groove from the sides, which are erect and convex, the edges sharp, inflected, and in their outline slightly recurved from the base to the unguis, which is strong, decurved, and acute; lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, acute, the sides erect, with a groove in their whole length, the edges sharp and direct, the very short dorsal line ascending and slightly concave, the edges decurved at the end. Head rather large, ovate; neck rather short; body full. Feet of moderate length, stout; tibia bare for a short space below; tarsus a little compressed, reticulated with angular scales; hind toe a slight prominence with a conical claw; fore toes long, slender, scutellate, connected by striated even webs; fourth toe slightly shorter than third. Claws moderate, arched, compressed, rather acute. Plumage full, close, elastic, rather compact above. Wings very long, narrow, the first quill longest. Tail short, or of moderate length, of from twelve to sixteen feathers.

* Bill robust; tail of more than twelve feathers.

460. 1. Procellaria gigantea, Linn. Gigantic Fulmar.

Not figured.

Bill longer than the head, nasal plate carinate, very slightly concave above, yellow, as are the feet; tail of sixteen feathers; general colour of plumage a deep brown tinged with grey, lighter on the lower parts, and especially on the lower surface of the wings.

Length, 36; tail, 7-1/2; bill, 4.

Off the Columbia River.

Gigantic Fulmar, Procellaria gigantea, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 330.