FULiMARS, SHEARWATERS, AND PETRELS 



8i 



spread wings, stretched stiff as a board, it will 

 remain poised and balanced against a strong 

 half-gale, or glide through the air with wonderful 

 grace by the minutes together, now skimming 

 over the crests of the waves or following down 

 into their deep troughs, now stoi)i)ing to alight. 

 feet first, on the surface, in order to pick up 

 some scrap food or some mollusk which it has 

 espied. In coloration, too, the Fulmar approaches 

 more nearly to the Albatross than to the rest of 

 its family," while in nesting habits it " seems 

 intermediate between the Albatross, which nests 

 on the flat oceanic islands in the open, and the 

 true Petrels, which nest in holes or burrows in 

 the ground or loose rocks.'' 



Another peculiarity of this bird is that it is 

 almost voiceless. Even when its nesting places 

 are invaded and hundreds or even thousands of 

 the Fulmars take to their wings, thev sail about 

 in utter silence, like so many ghosts of birds. 

 They are strictly pelagic in their habits except 

 during the breeding season. On the ocean they 

 are nuich given to following whaling ships for 

 the blubber and oily scraps thrown overboard. 

 This food they seem never to eat while on the 

 wing, but invariably to devour it while floating 

 on the surface of the water, after the practice of 

 the Albatross. To the crews of the whalers and 

 sealers the bird is well known, and to them it 

 (iwes the names of " Mollimoke " and " N^oddv." 



Other Names. — Hagdoii ; Hag: Haglet ; Wandering 

 Shearwater; Coinnion Atlantic Shearwater; Cinereous 

 Puffin. 



General Description. — Length, i8 to 20 inches ; 

 spread of wings. ^(1 to 45 inches. Color above, clark 

 brown ; below, white. 



GREATER SHEARWATER 

 Puffinus gravis (O'Reilly) 



A. O. U. Number 89 



Color. — Upper parts, dark brown, shading on head 

 to grayish-brown ; usually lighter on hindneck. dark- 

 est on inner secondaries and rump, the feathers of 

 back, rump, and wing-coverts ed.ged with pale brownish- 

 ash ; crown, uniform brown extending on sides of head 

 to level of gape, with line of demarcation from white 



Drawing by R. I. Brasher 



GREATER SHEARWATER (J nat. size) 

 One of the " stiff-winged " flyeis of tfie ocean 



