Vol. XVII 
1900 
ANTHONY, Westing Habits of Shearwaters. 251 
tones, inexpressively sad and wierd, —the love notes of Pufinus 
cuneatus. 
A number of the burrows were opened, and from each were 
taken two birds, which fought and bit most savagely on being 
dragged to the light. By far the greater number were in dark 
plumage, but many showed lighter underparts, and in some cases 
a perfectly typical ‘cuneatus, with pure white underparts, was 
found in the same burrow with a dark ‘ £nudseni.’ 
At this date the burrows were about four to five feet in length, 
most of them running in a nearly horizontal direction along the 
sides of the steep narrow ravines that everywhere cut this end of 
the island. 
The soil is chiefly of fine pumice, in some places soft and 
easily excavated, but in others so hard as to require the use of a 
pick in opening the burrows. In most of the excavations was a 
rude attempt at nest building, consisting of a few sprigs of green 
grass and other vegetation which grew about the colony, and on 
this meagre platform were both birds, but no eggs. Nor did the 
condition of the birds indicate that the actual nesting season was 
at hand. About sunset the birds from the island began to seek 
the water, meeting a similar tide moving in from the sea. They 
mostly centered about the south end of the island, which soon 
presented the appearance of a vast beehive. Thousands upon 
thousands of Shearwaters were circling about with easy flight, 
much more airy and graceful than that of any Shearwater with which 
I am familiar ; especially was the difference accentuated when an 
occasional auricudaris with typical Shearwater flight, skimmed 
through the throng. The greater part of those birds which came 
from the higher parts of the island descended at an angle of 
about 45°, with wings set until near the water, when they sailed off 
over the waves until lost to view, while others descending in a 
spiral course joined their fellows in circling about the water at 
the foot of the cliffs. There was little, if any, outcry, though the 
sobbing notes were often heard from the birds on shore. One 
bird — doubtless an albino—had a pure white head and dusky 
body, strongly suggestive of a Heermann’s Gull. It circled several 
times about our skiff, which was an object of great interest to the 
busy throng. 
