60 Mr John MacGillivray on the Island of St Kilda. 
it selects to the exclusion of almost every other species. — It 
chooses the most inaccessible spots, and forms a regularly con- 
structed nest of turf and dried sea-weed, laying invariably three 
eggs, as the other gulls mentioned above generally do, with the 
exception of ZL. marinus, which has usually only two. On dis- 
turbing a colony of kittiwakes, most of the birds leave their 
nests and fly about the intruder, uttering incessantly their cla- 
morous, but not unmusical cry. The noise from a large flock, 
set in motion by repeated shots, is almost deafening ; the flap- 
ping of their wings, their loud crigs, joined to the deep gut- 
tural notes of the passing gannets, and the screams of the 
larger gulls, form a combination of sounds without a parallel 
in nature. This bird is not deemed of sufficient importance 
by the fowlers to serve as an object of pursuit, probably on ac- 
count of its vigilance. 
St Kilda has been long noted as the only breeding-place in 
Britain of the fulmar petrel, Procellaria glacialis (An Fulmar, 
or Fulimar.)* This bird exists there in almost incredible num- 
* As this bird has rarely been seen in its recent state by ornithologists, 
perhaps a short description of its colouring, with the measurements taken 
on the spot from numerous specimens, may be interesting, as it will be seen 
that my account differs considerably from those to be found in books. Up- 
per parts bluish-grey, darker on the wings, and gradually fading away to the 
tail; head and neck white, with a slight tinge of yellow on the throat, and 
a small black spot before the eye, extending slightly over it ; bill bluish-yel- 
low, of different shades, notched with darker patches and streaks, whole of 
the under parts white, except the under surface of the wings, which is 
bluish-grey, the wing coverts being only slightly tinged with that colour. 
Legs pale-flesh coloured, darker on outer surface of outer toe. 
Male. Female. Female. 
Invi In. 1. Ine I> 
Length toend of tall, «=. «>. 1-8) 1.7) Lb & 
Extent of wings, . . 4 Bee 110 3, 94. » Sue 
Wing from flexure, me Wher) sete) ae,” Kel 13 0 13 0 
alee VST Soe LER INN WN Tes 42 ree) 
Bill, measured straight, L’ 7 1 6 1 6 
Nasal tube, . 0 : 0 9 0 9 0 8 
Gape, . A ‘ . ° 4 . 2,2 2 0 27-2 
Tarsus, . “ - é : : : 2 3 2 i} 2 3 
Middle, 3 0 3.0 2 9 
Outer, toe andclaw, . : : : {3 1 3 0 2 104 
Inner, 2.5 2 3 2.3 
