424 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



species is the Manx Shearwater. They fly close to the surface of the 

 water, in an almost perfectly straight line, one behind the other, and at 

 an incredible speed ; every muscle seems to be strained ; they hurry along 

 as if the furies were behind them, and have acquired amongst the Levantines 

 the sobriquet of " ames damnees." 



There is no difierence in colour between the sexes of the Manx Shear- 

 water, but the female is slightly smaller. After the autumn moult adult 

 birds have the general colour of the upper parts black, with a slight tinge 

 of slate-grey, especially on the margins of the feathers. The dark feathers 

 extend on the lores and the upper half of the ear-coverts, slightly en- 

 croaching on the sides of the breast, the thighs, and the sides of the under 

 tail-coverts ; there is a dark subterminal band across the axillaries ; the 

 remainder of the underparts are pure white. Bill greenish black ; legs 

 and feet brown, varied with dull orange; irides hazel. In late summer 

 the colour of the upper parts fades into brown. Young in first plumage 

 do not differ in any respect from adults. Two examples in Hargitt^s col- 

 lection, obtained by Mr. H. C. Miiller on the Faroes on the 27th and 30tli 

 of August (one half down and half feathers, the other slightly further 

 advanced), precisely resemble adults. Young in down are nearly uniform 

 greyish brown, slightly paler on the throat and breast. 



