134 



THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



found in all seas, and at any distance from land, 

 but are often localized in their breeding-haunts, 

 and by far the larger number of species inhabit the 

 southern seas ; there are about a hundred and 

 twenty in all. 



The best known in northern waters are the 

 little Stormy-Petrel {Procellaria pelagica), of a 

 swallow's size — the smallest web-footed bird — 

 and sooty black, with a white patch on the back, 

 and the Common Shearwater {Puffinus anglorum), 

 about the size of a pigeon, and black above and 

 white below. Species of similar general appearance 

 to these are found in all seas. The well-known 

 Mutton-bird (Puffinus brevicaudus) of Australia is 

 a dark Shearwater. The Fulmar {Fulmarus 

 glacialis), a grey-and-white species of the size of a 

 crow, is northern. In the southern seas a familiar 

 bird is the Cape Pigeon [Daption capensis), 

 about the size of a wood-pigeon, and white, spotted 

 with black, with black head ; well known also are 

 the species of Prion, commonly called " Whale- 

 birds/' of about the size of blackbirds, and blue- 

 grey in plumage. The Southern Diving-Petrels 

 (Pelecanoides), the only short-winged members 

 of the family, are about the same size, and black- 

 and-white in colour. On the edges of the Ant- 

 arctic ice is found the Snowy Petrel {Pagodroma 

 nivea), about pigeon-size, a curious counterpart 

 to the Ivory Gull of the Arctic regions. The 

 largest of the Petrels is the Nelly [Ossifraga 

 gigantea), a bird as big as a goose, normally sooty- 

 brown, but often white or pied ; it is a voracious 

 scavenger, and attacks other birds on occasion ; it 

 is confined to southern waters. 



The Albatrosses [Diomedeince), with nasal tubes 

 separated from each other, are all large birds, 

 chiefly haunting the southern seas, but one or two 



