Description

John Cassin (1813-1869)
Plate 46, The Gray Petrel
From: Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America
Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1856
Chromolithograph
Paper dimensions: 10 “x7 “
Framed dimensions: 16 x 17

With text below image:
The Gray Petrel, also called the brown petrel, pediunker or grey shearwater is a species of seabird in the Procellariidae, or petrel family. It occurs in the open seas of the Southern Hemisphere, mainly between 49S and 32S. This bird averages 48 cm (19 in) in length and weighs 1,000 g (35 oz). It has brownish-grey mantle, back, uppertail coverts, and upperwings, as well as a white belly and ash-gray underwings and under-tail, and a yellow-green bill and pink-grey feet. These birds will dive from heights up to 33 feet when getting food. They breed on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, the Prince Edward Islands, and other islands.