762 

 BULWER'S PETREL. 



Bulweria bulweri {Jardine & Selhy). 



Accidental visitant from the Atlantic, of extremely rare occurrence. 



This small Petrel nests on the Canary Isles and Maderia, 

 and is found as far south as Japan. 

 Thomas Allis, in 1844, wrote : — 



Thalassidroma bulwerii. — Bulwer's Petrel — This bird has lately 

 been met with in the neighbourhood of Ripon, as I learn from W. 

 Stubbs, a bird-stuffer of that city. 



The first authentic record of the appearance of this species 

 in Europe relates to a Yorkshire example picked up dead on 

 the banks of the Ure at Tanfield on 8th May 1837, and 

 formerly in the collection of Col. Dalton (Yarrell, " British 

 Birds," 1843, iii. p. 514). 



From 1843 until 1903 this bird remained unique as a 

 British specimen. It was long lost sight of, and in order, if 

 possible, to rescue it from oblivion, Mr. W. Eagle Clarke set 

 to work to investigate its history, fortunately with success, 

 and the specimen is now deposited in the York Museum. 

 It was exhibited at a meeting of the Zoological Society on 

 15th November 1887, by Professor Newton, who remarked 

 that " Some doubt having, it seems, been expressed as to the 

 occurrence of Bulwer's Petrel in this country, which was 

 announced by Gould in the concluding part of his ' Birds of 

 Europe,' published on ist August 1837, ^^^- Wm. Eagle 

 Clarke, Curator of the Museum of the Phil, and Lit. Society 

 at Leeds, determined to investigate the facts, and as his search 

 for the specimen in question has been successful, I have great 

 pleasure in exhibiting it to you, on his behalf, to-night. I 

 have the greater pleasure in doing this, as but for his per- 

 severance and that of a local naturalist, Mr. James Carter 

 of Burton House, Masham, the specimen would probably have 

 been for ever lost sight of, whereas we may now hope that it 

 will find a permanently safe abode. Gould's statement was 

 that the specimen, having been found dead on the banks of 



