94 Mr. C. Dixon on the 



light and a dark one ; but the latter is rare, although they 

 sometimes snare it from its eggs. These light and dark races 

 of the Fulmar may be again divided into a large and small 

 form of each respectively. Several of the eggs I obtained 

 unquestionably belong to this small form of Fulmar, but 

 whether of the light or dark races I am unable to say, as I 

 did not take them myself. There are two dominant forms of 

 Fulmar, an Atlantic and a Pacific one. Curiously enough 

 the latter appears to go through the same variations as 

 its Atlantic ally, viz. a light and dark form, each Vv'ith a large 

 and small representative. The light and dark Pacific birds 

 are said to breed in separate colonies on Copper Island. All 

 the Pacific forms are said to have light-coloured bills, but in 

 the light form of the Atlantic Fulmar the nasal tubes are dark, 

 and the dark form of the latter bird has the entire bill- dark 

 except the nail. The Pacific dark form also appears to be con- 

 stantly darker than its Atlantic representative ; and in both 

 oceans the dark form is most western, and the light form 

 most eastern in its distribution. For the above information on 

 the variations of the Fulmar I am indebted to Mr. Seebohm, 

 to whom it was furnished by Professor liidgway. 



In spite of what Capt. Feilden, Prof. Malmgren, and otlier 

 naturalists say to the contrary, there can be no doubt that 

 the dark birds are not in the immature stage of plumage. 

 Malmgren says that he saw intermediate examples between 

 the light and dark forms ; but this, I think, points to the fact 

 that all these forms of Fulmar interbreed, as well-behaved 

 subspecies ought to do. 



PuFFiNus ANGLORUM. " Scrapire." 



The Manx Shearwater is far commoner on St. Kilda than 

 is generally supposed, and probably breeds on all the islands. 

 It certainly does so on Doon, St. Kilda, and Soay. It is one 

 of the earliest birds to arrive at the islands in spring, coming 

 early in February, and it is amongst the last to leave in 

 autumn. This Shearwater is so common on Soay that 

 as many as four hundred have been caught in a single 

 night; and their cries arc described by the St.-Kildaiis as 



