MANX SHEARWATER. 



i6S 



caused by the graze of a round shot as it ricochets upon the 

 water. 



" The burrows are dug in the dry crumbhng soil of the steep 

 cHffs, varying from i8 inches to 2 feet in depth, or even more, 

 and are so narrow that the introduction of the hand is a 

 matter of some difficulty when the hole happens to be new, 

 and therefore but litde worn by the passage of the bird. A 

 fresh hole is not necessarily dug every season, the old ones 

 being often made to serve again. To look at, the bill would 

 not seem to be very well adapted for digging ; but still it 

 answers the purpose, possessing more strength than the 

 observer would, at first sight, imagine. The hooked point is 

 very hard and sharp, as a certain scar on one of my hands can 

 testify ; and the edges of the mandible, too, are very keen, and 

 have more than once drawn blood from my fingers. The sand 

 is scraped out in sufficient quantity to form a considerable 

 heap at the entrance, and very slight disturbance of the heap 

 will cause desertion. Indeed, the Lyrie is not at all a bird 

 that will bear to be much interfered with. It is almost certain 

 to forsake the nest if it be taken out, even though it will 

 return for the moment, creeping back into the hole after a 

 Httle uncertain fluttering, seemingly quite bewildered when 

 tossed up in the air. 



" In handling the Shearwater, one need be very cautious, as 

 it has the habit of ejecting from the mouth a quantity of clear 

 thin oil, fishy and disagreeable enough, it is true, but by no 

 means the abominably offensive stuff described by authors. 

 On several occasions I have found in the stomach of this bird 

 the jaws of a small species of cuttle -fish, vouched for as such 

 by Mr. Gwyn Jeffreys himself, together with a small quantity 

 of comminuted seaweed, and some green vegetable fibre. The 

 cuttle-fish jaws have been found by me also in the stomach of 

 the Fulmar Petrel." 



A note by Mr. Drake, of Cardiff, is interesting, as showing 

 the way in which the bird behaves when suddenly taken from 

 its burrow : — " The Shearwater brought out was a beautiful 

 bird, delightfully sleek and clean, with the charm and mystery 

 of unfamiliar nature about it. None of the Shearwaters 

 vomited the abominable oil which Petrels will sometimes emit. 

 It was thrown up into the air, but bungled its restoration to 



