PUFFINURIA URINATRIKX.
Diving Petrel.

Procellaria Urinatrix, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 827.—Gmel. Edit. Linn. Syst. Nat.. vol. i. p. 560.

» p. 274.—Temm. Man. d’Orn., Part I. p
vol. ii. p. 373.—Temm. Pl. Col., 517.

Dwing Petrel, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. vi. p. 413.—Forst. Voy., vol. i
JO, U@4t

Procellaria tridactyla, Forst. Drawings, No. 88.—Lichtenstein’s Edit. of Forst. MSS., p. 149.

Diving Halodrome (Halodroma urinatrix), Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiii. Pp. 257.

Puffinuria Garnotii, Less. Zool. de la Voy. de Cogq., pl. 46.—Ib. Tr

Pelecanoides, Lacép.

Pelecanoides Urinatrix, Cuv.—G. R. Gray, Gen. of Birds, 2nd Edit., p. 98.

Tee-tee, Aborigines of New Zealand.

| Uri rin . ; . : ‘ ; \ PB)
Haladroma Urinatrix, Il. Prodromus . cixi—Swains. Class. of Birds.

- pp. 189, 483, 503.—Lath. Gen. Hist.. vol. x.

aité d’Orn.. p. 615.

 

I opserven that this curious little bird was very abundant in Storm Bay, and off many parts of the coast of

Van Diemen’s Land ; I have also seen specimens from New Zealand and Cape Horn which were identical
with those I procured in the localities above-mentioned. As might be supposed from its structure, the habits
and economy of the Diving Petrel are totally different from those of all the other members of the family, with
the exception of course of the one or two other species belonging to the same genus.
those great powers of flight common to the rest of the family, but has this loss amply compensated for by
its powers of diving, which are so great that it is even said to fly under water. It thus gives chase to

shrimps and other small crustaceans, fry of fish, &c., upon which it feeds; and in turn finds a destroying

enemy in the Barracoota, a ravenous fish so called by the colonists, and which is very common in the seas off

the southern parts of Australia. Its flight is a curious fluttering motion, performed so close to the surface
that it rarely rises high enough to top the waves, but upon being met by them makes progress by a direct
course through instead of over them. Latham states that it inhabits « Queen Charlotte’s Sound, and
other parts adjacent to New Zealand in vast flocks ; fluttering on the surface of the water or sitting upon
it, and dives well; rising often at considerable distances, with amazing agility. It croaks like a frog and
sometimes makes a noise like the cackling of a hen.”

In external appearance the Diving Petrel so much resembles the Little Auk of the northern seas, that at
the first glance it might be readily mistaken for that species; their resemblance, however, is merely that of
analogy or representation and not of affinity, for they are by no means nearly allied, but merely represent
each other in the respective families to which they belong. I observed this or a nearly allied species about
20 degrees to the eastward of New Zealand, taking mollusks from the surface of the ocean, now and then
dashing under water, rising again, skimming close to the surface and then flying off in a straight line with
a quick fluttering motion of the wings.

It appears to differ considerably in colour, some having the under surface washed with dark grey, while
in others, and by far the greater number, that part of the plumage is white.

Head, all the upper surface, wings and tail shining black ; ear-coverts, sides of the neck and flanks dark
grey ; all the under surface white ; irides very dark greyish brown; base of the cutting edge of the upper
mandible and a line along the lower edge of the under mandible blue grey; tarsi and toes beautiful light
blue ; webs transparent ete, white, tinged with brown ; naked pouch hanging from the chin nearly black,
and being very thin lies in folds like a bat’s wing. a

The figures are of the natural size, the white-breasted being the adult plumage and the other that of im-

maturity.

It possesses none of

 

 

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