THE BLACK- VENTED SHEARWATER. 867 



"By. lying' Hat upon the rail of the sccjoner I could just reach the water 

 with my finger tips when the wa\es favored me. but e\en at this disad\^antage 

 it was only a few moments till I had captured several Fulmars by coaxing 

 them up with bits of fish and grabljing them when the roll of the vessel jilaced 

 me near enough. \\'heu tlirown upun deck they made no attempt t" fly, l)ut 

 with outstretched wings hurried to the rail, over which they could just reach, 

 and emptied tlie contents of tlieir stomachs into the sea, a performance they 

 attempted to repeat whene\er they were disturbed. Their actions were so 

 like those of sea-sick landsmen that it was extremely laughable. The popular 

 belief among sailors is that thev are reallv sea-sick, but of course the action is 

 prompted 1;)\- amtliing Init nausea. It is more likelv that the stomach contents 

 are given up as the Tern disgorges when pursued by a Jaeger, as a ransom. 



"In catching Fulmars with mv bare hand I found it was quite safe to let 

 go of them as soon as convenient, for the\' are i)ro\'ided with an unusualh' 

 sliarj) bill, and are singularh- willing to use it." 



No. 350. 



BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER. 



A. O. U. No. 93. Puffiniis opisthomelas Cones. 



Description. — Adult: I'])])er ]:)Uniiage dark sooty brown to blackish, lighter 

 anteriorly, darker behind, shading on sides of head, neck, and on sides to white of 

 remaining underparts : under tail-covcrts and crissum, just short of vent, sooty 

 brown; bill slender, (in the skin) blackish above, lighter below: tarsus behind 

 and outer toe blackish : tarsus in front and inner toes with webs (drying) yellow- 

 ish. Length: 12.00-14.00 (304.8-355.6); wing 9.00 (228.6); tail 3.75 (95.3); 

 bill 1.40 (35.6), depth at base .40 ( 10.2), at terminal convexity .30 i 7.6). 



Recognition Marks. — Little Hawk size, but of course a])pearing much larger 

 — nearer Cull size to eye; long pointed wings; alternate flapping and sailing flight. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in Washington. Single white egg laid at end 

 of burrow in earth-bank, five or six feet in. Av. size of egg 2.00 x 1.30 (50.8.x 

 33). Season: c. April 10; one brood. 



General Range. — Pacific Ocean, breeding on islands oil Lower California; 

 north in summer along coasts to (at least) \'ancouver Island. 



Range in Washington. — Not common in late summer off western coast. 



Authorities. — Dawson, .\uk, NX\'. ( )ct. 1908, p. 485 (A. ^\'. Anthony in 

 cpist.). 



Specimens. — Prov. 



THE "pathless wastes" of ocean not only have no terrors for these hardy 

 navigators, but the}' appear to be endowed with a subtle sense whereby they are 



