BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 345 



morant are names frequently interchanged by 

 seamen and coast dwellers. Gregarious. A bold 

 and fairly close sitter, sometimes allowing itself 

 to be caught on the nest. 



SHEARWATER, MANX. 



(Puffinus anglorum.} 

 Order TUBINARES ; Family PROCELLARIHLE (PETRELS). 



Description of Parent Birds. 'Length about 

 fourteen inches ; bill rather long, straight, except 

 at the tip, where it is curved downwards, and 

 blackish-brown, lighter at the base. Irides hazel. 

 Head, nape, back, wings, and tail brownish-black ; 

 chin, throat, breast, belly, vent, and under tail- 

 coverts white. The sides of the neck are barred 

 transversely with grey and white. A patch of 

 brownish-black is situated behind the thigh on each 

 side ; legs, toes, and webs flesh-colour, tinged with 

 yellow. 



The female is similar to the male, but slightly 

 smaller. 



Situation and Locality. At the end of a burrow, 

 generally excavated by the bird, and varying from 

 two to ten or twelve feet in depth, in crevices, and 

 under pieces of rock ; sometimes in a small hole 

 scratched out between two stones. In the Scilly 

 Islands, Wales, on the islands to the west of Scot- 

 land, and in suitable places off the Irish coast. It is 

 possible that its peculiar habit of keeping out of 

 sight during the day and only coming forth at night 

 may have conduced to some of its nesting haunts 

 having been overlooked. The bird is known in one 

 case to have been driven away from its nesting 

 stations by Puffins, and in another by rats. 



