Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822King, Philip Parker
History
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia — Vol. 2: Performed between the years 1818 and 1822
King, Philip Parker
Australia -- Description and travel; Natural history -- Australia
This bird is common in all parts of the Southern Ocean. The above
specimen was found at King George the Third's Sound near the south-west
extremity of New Holland. There are two specimens in the collection
marked 9 a, and 9 b.
11. Tachypetes aquila. Vieillot.
Pelecanus Aquila, Gmel. Lin. 1 572.
Frigate Bird.
This specimen was obtained at Ascension, and is common in all parts of
the Atlantic within or near the Tropic.
12. Sterna fuliginosa. Gmel. Lin. 1 605. Ind. Orn. 2 804.
Egg Bird, Forst. Voyage 1 115. Cook, Voyage 1 66, 275.
Noddy, Dampier, 3 pt. 1 99., table page 85. figure 5. Hawkesworth's Coll.
of Voyages, 3 652.
Sooty Tern, Gen. Syn. 6 352. Arc. Zool. 2 Number 447.
There are two specimens of this bird in the collection, marked 12 a, and
12 b.
13. Sterna pelecanoides (n.s.)
S. alba; capitis vertice nigro albo-variegato; dorso, alis, caudaque
canis; remigibus fusco-atris, rhachibus albis.
Colli latera parce cano-maculata; tectrices secundariae primoribus
obscuriores; remiges fusco-atrae, pogoniis internis fere ad apicem
albo-marginatis; rectrices externae fuscae basi apiceque albis; rostrum
subflavum; pedes nigri.
Longitudo corporis, 19 1/4; alae a carpo ad remigem primam, 13 1/2;
caudae, 6 3/4; rostri, ad frontem, 2 1/3, ad rictum, 3 1/6; tarsi, 1 1/6.
The hallux, or hind toe, of this bird appears to be more closely united
to the fore toes, and to be situated more in front than is usual among
the Terns: it is also to be observed, that the side of the nail of the
middle toe is considerably dilated, although not serrated, similar to
what is observed among the Pelecanidae. These characters offer a
corroboration of the affinity of the Sternae to the family of the
Pelecanidae, and particularly to the genus Phaeton, which approaches the
Terns more closely than any other group of that family, in the smaller
size of the membrane that unites the toes (see Linnean Transactions 14
505). It may also be stated on the other hand, that the same membrane of
the Sterna pelecanoides deviates from its own genus, and approaches the
Pelecanidae, in its being more dilated than usual. The wings are longer
than the tail for a considerable extent, by which our bird also evinces
another character, in common with the long-winged Tachypetes, or Frigate
bird.
14. Larus georgii (n.s.)
L. albus, dorso alisque nigris; rectricibus albis, fascia media atra.
Rostrum flavum, apice rubro; mandibulae inferioris gonide maxime
angulata; remiges primores atrae, secundariae supra nigrae apice albo,
infra albae; tectrices inferiores albae; pedes flavi.
Longitudo corporis, 28; alae, a carpo ad remigem primam 18 3/4;
mandibulae, superioris ad frontem, 2 1/3, ad rictum, 3 1/6; tarsi, 2
11/12; caudae, 8 1/2.
This bird was found at King George the Third's Sound, on the South-west
Coast, in the vicinity of Seal Island.
...
REPTILIA.
BY JOHN EDWARD GRAY, ESQUIRE, M.G.S.
Genus CHLAMYDOSAURUS. Gray.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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