PUFFINUS.
Medium size; tarsus laterally compressed, sharp-edged in front; nostrils in a common tube, ending obliquely in front, so that open flares are visible from above, and partition easily seen; 12 tail feathers.
Puffinus puffinus puffinus (Brunnich). MANX SHEAR WATER. Gcr. Sturmtaucher ; SWEd. Mindre lira.
Above dark slaty brown ; beneath white ; axillaries white with generally grey subterminal bar, under tail coverts white with traces of grey. Bill above blackish brown, below bluish horn. Front of tarsus, inner and middle toes pale rose, back of tarsus and outer toe black, web of toes light bluish grey. Wing 228-246. Tarsus 44-45. Bill 32-38.
Brecds.—Iceland (Westmann Islands), Faroes, British Isles (Shetlands, Orkneys, Hebrides, Coasts Wales and Ireland, Scilly Islands), France, Desertas and Porto Santo (Madeira), Salvages ? Canary Islands ? Azores ? In winter occurs on Baltic and N. Sea Coasts, also Atlantic Coast N. America.
P. puffinus yelkouan (Acerbi). Levantine Shearwater. Ital. Berta minore. Browner above, under tail coverts grey brown mixed with white ; axillaries white with brown tips.
Breeds.—I\lediterrancan from Sardinia, Malta and Tunisia to Bosphorus, Syrian and Egyptian Coasts. Not yet known to have occurred outside these limits.
P. puffinus mauretanicus Lowe. Above browner than "yelkouan" ; also browner on flanks, axillaries, vent and under tail coverts ; rest of underparts usually tinged with brown.
Brceds.—Western Mediterranean (limits not yet known definitely). Occurs casually E. Atlantic and North Sea.
Birds obtained in Britain, formerly considered "yelkouan," belong to this race.
Puffinus assimilis godmani Allen.
? Above slaty brown ; checks and underparts white ; sides of neck with grey subterminal bars ; under tail coverts white, with some brown at sides ; axillaries white ; under wing coverts greyish white. Bill black above and at tip, slate colour at sides and below. Legs and feet slaty blue, outer toe and outer side of tarsus black. Wing 175-184 (II.). Tarsus 35-38. Bill 24-27.
Preads.—Madeira (Desertas and l'orto Santo) ; Salvage Islands, Canary Islands, Azores. Rare visitor to British Coasts.
The typical form P. a. assimilis" is Australian.
P. assimilis boydi Matthews. Differs from "godinani" through under tail coverts being uniform grey brown.
Breeds.--Cape de Verde Islands. Ilas occurred once on English Coasts.
Puffinus gravis (O'Reilly). GREAT SHEARWATER.
? Above dark brown with paler tips except on head, which is darker ; tips of long upper tail coverts white ; beneath white, a patch on abdomen and under tail coverts grey brown, axillaries white with brown tips. Bill yellowish green. Inner side of tarsus and inner toes yellowish, outer side of tarsus and outer toe brown. Wing 320-330. Tarsus 5S-6o. Bill 45-46 (II.).
Ercears.—Tristan d'Acunha Group. Occurs in N. Atlantic in our summer, from Canaries and Madeira on the east and Newfoundland on west, north to Iceland, Eames and Greenland. Frequent on British Coasts, especially \Vest.
Puffinus kuhli kuhli (Bole). Berta maggiore.
? Above grey brown ; beneath white ; sides of neck mottled with pale grey bars ; primaries white at base on inner %ye], and white extends beyond coverts, the outer row dark brown. Rill yellowish horn, with black tip. Legs and feet pale reddish flesh, outer side of outer toe and webs brownish. Wing 335-365 (II.). Tarsus 50-58. Bill Resident in Mediterranean from Gibraltar to Asia Minor, Adriatic and Bosphorus. Rare on N. Egyptian Coast. Has occurred once in England.
P. kuhli borealis Cory. Bill larger, thicker, higher and somewhat longer ; white on bases of inner webs of primaries not extending beyond coverts. Bill 53-59.
Breeds.—Azores, Madeira, Desertas, Porto Santo, Salvage Islands, Canary Islands. Occasional visitor to Portuguese and N. American Coasts. Possibly breeds on Berlengas off \V. Coast of Portugal. Has occurred once in England.
Puffinus griseus (Gmelin). SOOTY SHEARWATER.
? Brown throughout, under wing coverts greyish white with brown shafts, axillaries brown. Bill dull black with narrow white line at base above. Inner side of legs and two inner toes reddish blue, outer side of legs and outer toe black. Wing 293-32o. Tarsus 55-6o. Bill 42-45 (H.).
Breeds.—Stephen Island, Stewart Island, and Snares Islands off New Zealand ; has also been reported as breeding in Pescadores Islands off Formosan Coast. Occurs in our summer in N. Atlantic, on the European side from Iceland and Scandinavia south to Portugal, fairly often being seen on British Coasts ; and on the American side from Gulf of St Lawrence to S. Carolina. Has occurred widely in S. Seas and also in N. Pacific.