NORTHERN FULMAR. 435 



is surprising that so few individuals are to be seen along the 

 west coast of Scotland. In the course of a residence of 

 several years in Harris, I did not obtain more than one 

 specimen. On the eastern side of Scotland, however, where 

 there is no breeding-place, individuals often appear in stormy- 

 weather in the Moray Firth ; and along the coast from St. 

 George to Fraserburgh many continue all winter, arriving 

 toward the end of autumn, and departing in spring. I have 

 seen individuals shot at Banff by Mr. Edwards. In the 

 Firth of Forth I have never met with any, although indi- 

 viduals are stated to have been obtained in Durham, Essex, 

 and Cornwall. Mr. Thompson indicates only three speci- 

 mens obtained in Ireland : one at Inchidoney Island, on the 

 southern coast, in 1832 ; another in Dublin Bay, in January 

 1846; the third at Castle Freke, county Cork, in October 

 1845. 



The egg is of an elongated oval shape ; the shell rather 

 thin, lustreless, punctato-granulate, dull white, becoming 

 soiled ; the length of one from St. Kilda two inches eight- 

 twelfths, its greatest breadth one inch ten-twelfths. 



From the various statements made by observers, it ap- 

 pears that the Fulmar feeds on fishes, cephalopodous mol- 

 lusca, cirripedia, most other kinds of animal substance, 

 especially such as are oily or fatty. The Rev. Mr. Scoresby, 

 in his " Arctic Regions," states that it is the constant com- 

 panion of the whale-fisher, joining his ship immediately on 

 passing the Shetland Islands, and accompanying him to the 

 highest accessible latitudes, keeping an eager watch for 

 anything thrown overboard. Fulmars are extremely greedy 

 of the fat of the whale. Though few should be seen when a 

 whale is about being captured, yet, as soon as the flensing 

 process commences, they rush in from all quarters, and fre- 

 quently accumulate to many thousands in number. They 

 then occupy the gi-easy track of the ship ; and being auda- 

 ciously gi-eedy, fearlessly advance within a few yards of the 

 men employed in cutting up the whale. If, indeed, the 

 fragments of fat do not float sufficiently away, they approach 

 so near the scene of operations, that they are knocked down 

 Avith boat-hooks in great numbers, and sometimes taken up 



