BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 191 



inaudible, which is inncli curved downwards near 

 the tip. It is of a yellowish colour, with a greenish 

 tinge round the nostrils. Irides dark brown. Head 

 and the whole of the neck wdiite ; back and wings 

 French grey, except quills, wliich are darker ; upper 

 tail-coverts and tail-quills French grey ; breast, 

 belly, and under-parts white. Legs, toes, and webs 

 pale grey. Many specimens are of an ash-grey or 

 ash-brown tint all over, somewhat darker on the 

 back and vyings. 



The female is similar to the male. 



Situation and Locality. — Generally a kind of 

 slight grotto or sliort burrow, often insufficient to 

 hide the bird, dug by the Fulmar on turf-covered 

 shelves and ledges ; also in crevices of high, in- 

 accessible rocks at St. Kilda, where there is a 

 large colony. The bird has also estabhshed itself 

 in the Shetland Islands within the last sixteen 

 years. 



Mateviah. — Dried grass and tufts of sea pink, 

 sometimes nothing at all. 



Egg. — One ; white and rough when newly laid, 

 but quickly becoming soiled. Average size about 

 2-9 by 1-US in. 



Time. — May and June. 



Bein((ii:s. — Resident, but wandering. Note, 

 Seebohm says it is '' a very silent bird," and Mac- 

 gillivray, "I never observed them" (the birds at 

 St. Kilda) " utter any cry wdien flying, or even 

 when their nests were being robbed." Local and 

 other names : Fulmar, Northern Fulmar, Mallemock, 

 Maliduck, Malmock. Gregarious, and a close sitter. 



