PELICANS, CORMORANTS, AND PETRELS. 261 
at a short distance, a dozen or so together, to wait, and began fighting 
amongst themselves, as if to settle which was to have first bite. 
“The birds gorge themselves with food just like the vultures, and 
are then unable to fly.” 
In the North Atlantic there is a smaller species 
of these fulmars, known as the Noddy. It is a 
strictly arctic bird 
that comes southward 
as far as New Eng- 
land in winter. In its 
general habits it is 
said to be much the 
same as the “ Break- 
bones” of the tropic 
seas. 
The Shearwaters, 
of which there are 
several species, are 
strictly marine birds, 
their occurrence in- 
land being so very 

rare that it has no 
significance. It is 
well known that a very strong wind and general 
storm brings many birds not usually seen even near 
shore, not only to the coast, but sometimes carries 
them inland for some miles. This, however, is very 
different from voluntarily leaving the open sea and 
following the course of some (to the bird) insignifi- 
cant river. Nuttall says of them,— 
“Their course in the air is exceedingly swift and powerful. With 
their long wings outstretched and almost motionless, they sweep over 
