The Bird Book Part 11

Range.--North Pacific, breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off the coast of Mexico, and probably on some of the small islands in the Gulf of California.

97. BLACK-TAILED SHEARWATER. _Priofinus cinerus._

This is a Shearwater which inhabits the southern hemisphere, but which has accidentally wandered to the Pacific coast of the United States. It is dark above and whitish below, with black under tail coverts. It breeds in the far south.

[Ill.u.s.tration 068: Sooty Shearwater.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dark-bodied Shearwater. Slender-billed Shearwater.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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98. BLACK-CAPPED PETREL. _aestrelata hasitata._

This is not a common species; it is an inhabitant of tropical seas and has only been casually found on our coasts or inland. It is a handsome species with white forehead, underparts and nape with a small isolated black cap on the crown; the rest of the upper parts are blackish. It is a native of the West Indies.

99. SCALED PETREL. _aestrelata scalaris._

This is another rare species which is an inhabitant of southern seas. A single specimen taken in New York State gives it a claim as a doubtful North American species. It is a handsome bird, the feathers of the grayish upperparts being edged with white, thus giving it the appearance of being barred. Its eggs have only been known to science within the past few years. Data.--Preservation Inlet, New Zealand, June 7, 1900.

Single white egg. Size 2.40 1.75. Collector, P. Seymour. Parent bird taken with the egg.

100. FISHER'S PETREL. _aestralata fisheri._

This is a handsome bird known only from the type specimen taken off Kadiak Is., Alaska, by Mr. Fisher.

101. BULWER'S PETREL. _Bulweria bulweri._

An eastern Atlantic species which is only an accidental visitant to our sh.o.r.es. They breed on the Madeira Islands where the eggs are laid in crevices among the rocks or in burrows in the ground. Size 1.75 1.55, white.

102. PINTADO PETREL. _Daption capensis._

This is the Cape Pigeon of the southern hemisphere. It has only accidentally occurred on our coast.

[Ill.u.s.tration 069: Black-capped Petrel. Scaled Petrel. Fisher's Petrel.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

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103. LEAST PETREL. _Halocyptena microsoma._

Range.--Pacific coast of America from Lower California to Panama. The Least Petrel is the smallest of this family, in length measuring only 5.75 inches. Their plumage is entirely dark sooty. They have been found breeding on San Benito Island, Lower California, and they probably do on others farther south. The single egg that this bird lays is white with a wreath of fine black specks around one and sometimes both ends.

Data.--San Benito Is., Lower California, June 12, 1897. No nest, the egg being simply laid on the bare rock in a crevice. Size 1.00 .75.

Collector, A. W. Anthony.

104. STORM PETREL. _Thala.s.sidroma pelagica._

North Atlantic Ocean chiefly on the European side, wintering south to New Brunswick. Smallest of the white rumped, black petrels; 5.75 inches in length.

This species is the originally called "Mother Cary's Chicken" by the sailors. They nest abundantly on many of the islands off the coasts of Europe and the British Isles, laying their single egg either in burrows or crevices among the cliffs. Data.--Coast of County Kerry, Ireland, June 1, 1895. Single egg laid at the end of burrow in a sea cliff. Size 1.05 .80; white with a wreath of very fine dots about the larger end.

Collector, G. H. McDonald.

105. FORKED-TAILED PETREL. _Oceanodroma furcata._

Range.--North Pacific from California to Alaska, breeding in the Aleutians.

These birds have a plumage of bluish gray, the wings being darker and the underparts lightest. The nests are made in burrows or crevices in the banks. Data.--Uniak Is., Alaska, June 10, 1900. No nest. Single egg laid at the end of a burrow. Several pairs nesting near. Egg white with a fine wreath of purplish black specks about the large end. Size 1.25 .95.

[Ill.u.s.tration 070: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Least Petrel. Stormy Petrel. Forked-tailed Petrel.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

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105.2. KaeDING'S PETREL. _Oceanodroma kaedingi._

This bird is similar to Leach Petrel, but is smaller and the tail is less deeply forked. Its range is from California to Panama breeding on the Revillagigedo Islands off Mexico.

106. LEACH'S PETREL. _Oceanodroma leucorhoa._

Range.--North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans, breeding from Maine and from the Farallones, northward to Greenland and the Aleutians.

These are the most common of the Petrels found on our coast; they are eight inches in length, of a sooty brown color, and have a white rump.

The forked tail will at once distinguish them from any of the Atlantic Petrels. They nest in burrows in the ground, laying a pure white egg, sometimes with a very faint dusty wreath about the larger end. Size 1.20 .95. These birds generally take turns in the task of incubation, one remaining at sea during the day and returning at night while his mate takes her turn roving the briny deep in search of food. The young are fed by regurgitation upon an oily fluid which has a very offensive odor.

This odor is always noticeable about an island inhabited by Petrels and is always retained by the eggs or skins of these birds. They are very rarely seen flying in the vicinity of their nesting island during the day; the bird that is on the nest will remain until removed by hand.

Data.--Pumpkin Is., Maine, June 22, 1893. Single egg; nest of a few gra.s.ses at the end of a burrow dug in the bank. Collector, J. Lefavour.

106.1 GUADALUPE PETREL. _Oceanodroma macrodactyla._

This species, which is very similar to the preceding, except for a longer and more deeply forked tail, breeds on Guadalupe Is. Their eggs are white very minutely wreathed with reddish brown; they are, however, nearly always nest stained to an uneven brownish color. Data.--Guadalupe Is., Lower California, March 24, 1897. Single egg laid on a few oak leaves and pine needles at the end of a three foot burrow. Size of egg 1.40 1.00. Collector, A. W. Anthony.

[Ill.u.s.tration 071: White.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Kaeding's Petrel. Leach's Petrel. Guadalupe Petrel.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: White, nest stained.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand border.]

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107. BLACK PETREL. _Oceanodroma melania._