GREATER SHEARWATER 315 



Sooty Shearwater. Puffinus fidiginosus 



17.00 

 Ad. — Upper parts sooty; under parts lighter; bill blackish. 



The Sooty Shearwater is a regular summer visitant to 

 the North Atlantic, though much less common than the 

 following species, which it resembles closely in flight and 

 habits. It is readily distinguished by its uniformly dark 

 appearance. "At a distance it looks as black as a crow" 

 (Brewster). 



Greater Shearwater ; Hagdon ; Haglet. Puffinus 



gravis 



20.00 



Ad. — Upper parts dark brown; under parts white; band 

 across middle of tail white ; bill blackish. 



The Greater Shearwater is a summer visitor to the North 

 Atlantic from May to September. Shearwaters may be 

 regularly observed by any one crossing from New York or 

 New England to the Maritime Provinces, or from trans- 

 Atlantic liners. In fact, in mid-Atlantic, shearwaters and 

 petrels are sometimes the only birds in sight for days. The 

 former do not seem to be attracted to the ship as the latter 

 are. They do not congregate about the stern or follow in 

 the wake, but are seen to the right and left, ahead or 

 behind. With set wings they glide just above the waves, 

 over the crest and down into the troughs, occasionally 

 settling upon the water, then rising and continuing their 

 flight. They also gather in great numbers about the ofi"- 

 shore fishing-boats, waiting for the "gurry" that is thrown 

 over after the fish are cleaned. 



Note. — Cory's Shearwater {Puffinus borealis) occurs in summer 

 with the preceding, which it resembles in size and habits and rather 

 closely in coloration. It may be disting-uished at close range by its 

 yellow bill. 



