NOTES ON THE GREAT SHEARWATER 17 



Shearwater arrives on the American fishing-banks, it seems 

 to be listless and disinclined to feed, passing most of its 

 time in sitting on the water ; but later, " when feeding, it 

 displays a dash and pugnacity which is perfectly astonishing. 

 When in pursuit of food, it plunges suddenly down into the 

 water, striking on its breast with great violence, and in a 

 manner quite different from that in which Gulls alight Its 

 method of diving is also different from that of any other 

 species. It never plunges head first into the water, but it 

 first alights upon the surface, as just noted, disappearing 

 almost instantly. It is an active swimmer under water, and 

 when in pursuit of food passes rapidly from one object to 

 another. It is a common occurrence for a number of these 

 birds to chase a boat for half an hour or more at a time, 

 diving like a flash, every few minutes, after the bubbles 

 made by the oars, which these winged rangers seem to 

 imagine some kind of food beneath the surface of the water. 

 They will also persistently follow a dory from which a trawl 

 is being set, and, diving in the wake of the boat after the 

 sinking gear, make desperate endeavours to tear the bait 

 from the hooks." This evidence will probably suffice to 

 show the manners of this Shearwater on the other side 

 of the Atlantic, and reference may now be made to the 

 experiences of Mr. Robert Warren, of Moyview, Ballina, as 

 set forth in "The Zoologist," 1894, p. 22. On 23rd April 

 [1893] a flock of eleven Great Shearwaters were beating 

 about amidst the crowd of Gulls and Guillemots in Killala 

 Bay, and fishing in a manner quite different from that of 

 the other birds ; " for while in full flight close along the 

 surface of the water, and without the slightest pause, they 

 would suddenly dash into the water with a splash, and dis- 

 appear beneath the surface for some moments, reappearing 

 some yards farther on." 



My own experience of the Great Shearwater has been 

 mainly on sailing vessels, during the month of August on 

 a voyage to Rio de Janeiro, and again on my return from 

 Para in October- November, when not one of the species was 

 seen to the north of the Azores. I have also seen the species 

 on both sides of the North Atlantic and in the Channel in 

 our autumn. Then, to quote Capt. Collins again, " it may be 

 37 C 



