720 ^rAXX shearwater. 



is met with on the coast of Norway, as well as throughout the North 

 Sea ; it is also plentiful in the south-west of Iceland, and is said 

 to have occurred in Greenland. There is a large settlement on one 

 of the Channel Islands, and southward this species appears to breed 

 in the Azores, Madeira, and the Canaries ; while throughout the 

 Mediterranean and in the Black Sea it is represented by P. yel- 

 kouan of Acerbi (the ' ame damne'e ' of the Bosphorus), which is 

 characterized by a large amount of brown striation on the under 

 tail-coverts and exhibits a more dusky tint on the upper parts. In 

 American waters the i\Ianx Shearwater appears to be rare, and 

 Capt. Collins has not observed it on the fishing-grounds ; but I saw 

 two examples outside the Straits of Belle Isle on August 1 3-1 4th 

 1884, looking very black as compared with the Great Shearwater. 

 It is said to have nested in the Bermudas. 



The single white egg is deposited in a slight nest of dry grass at 

 the end of a burrow, and is smooth in texture, with less of the 

 musky odour wliich is so obtrusive in that of the Fulmar : average 

 measurements 2-4 by i"65 in. Incubation, in which the male takes 

 part, sometimes commences early in May, and the nestling remains 

 in its home until long after it is fully fledged, becoming enormously 

 fat. The food consists of surface-fish, offal, small cuttle-fish &c. ; 

 the oil vomited by the bird is green, but leaves a yellow stain. The 

 flight is rapid and skimming, but — contrary to a popular idea — this 

 species often settles on the water, and it dives freely, though only 

 remaining under water for a short time. It is undoubtedly noc- 

 turnal or crepuscular in its general habits, but occasionally large 

 flocks may be seen by day. The note is a aick-aick-oo, generally 

 repeated three times. 



The adult has the bill blackish-brown, paler at the base ; crown, 

 nape, and upper parts sooty-black ; under parts white ; sides of the 

 neck mottled with greyish-brown ; behind the thighs a patch of 

 sooty-brown ; legs and feet yellowish flesh-colour, the outer toes 

 darker. Total length 15 in.; wing 9*5 in. The young bird 

 resembles the adult and has white under parts, but occasionally 

 examples with sooty lower surfaces are met with. 



