162 Allen's naturalists library. 



violence — in a manner quite different from that of a Gull — and 

 then dives, pursuing its prey under water with great raj^idity, 

 and often tearing bait from the fishermen's hooks. When 

 crossing the Atlantic, I have often seen them skimming the 

 surface of the water without any apparent effort, alternately 

 poised on either wing, but at times they flap their pinions 

 freely." 



Seebohm, who also observed the species during his voyages 

 to America, has left us the following account of its habits : — 

 " In crossing the Atlantic in autumn the Great Shearwater is 

 much more local than either the Fulmar or Wilson's Petrel. I 

 have occasionally seen them approach very near the ship, but 

 they never seemed to take any notice of it, nor did they follow 

 the ship's wake or stoop to pick up anything that might be thrown 

 out to attract them. Sometimes half-a-dozen may be seen 

 together, but more often they are in pairs. Compared with the 

 Fulmars they look very black, but as they turn so that the sun 

 shines upon them, they look brown against the blue waves. 

 Their under parts look almost white ; but as they skim up from 

 the waves, the brown edges of the under wing-coverts can 

 easily be seen. The white on the upper tail-coverts is con- 

 spicuous during flight, and the neck is shortened so as to 

 produce the appearance of a white streak behind the ear- 

 coverts. It is impossible to ascertain during flight whether the 

 under tail-coverts be white or not, as they are always covered 

 by the outstretched feet. The Great Shearwater has even 

 greater power on the wing than the Fulmar ; he flies with the 

 wings more bent, and seems to follow the surface of the waves 

 still closer ; he really does ' shear the water,' only now and 

 then rising with a swallow- like flight above the horizon. He 

 skims along the surface of the Atlantic billows with almost 

 motionless wings, turning suddenly to avoid a breaker, or to 

 follow some object floating on the water which has caught his 

 eye, and which he sometimes snatches up without apparently 

 lessening his speed. Wind or rain do not appear to incom- 

 mode him in the least ; he never seems tired. He is very 

 rarely seen to alight on the surface of the water ; he sometimes 

 remains in sight for an hour together, but more often he 

 passes on, and frequently not a Shearwater is visible during 

 the whole day." 



