THE ALBATROSS, PETRELS, AND SHEARWATERS. 287 



coast in 1895, another in Colonsay on New Year's Day 

 1897.] 



Wilson's Petrel. A rare straggler from the southern 

 seas, of which under a dozen have been taken in England, 

 a couple in Ireland, but none in Scotland. 



Bulwer's Petrel. An Atlantic straggler, which has 

 occurred once only in Yorkshire. 



Capped Petrel. A southern straggler, which was ob- 

 tained once in Norfolk. 



The Fulmar is known on the English coasts only in 

 rough winter weather, but breeds in the Shetlands, Outer 



t Fulmar Hebrides, and St Kilda. It is the largest of 

 Petrel. O ur petrels, and has all the family characters. 

 There are two forms, one with darker grey underparts, 

 but it is the whiter race that breeds in the above islands. 

 This bird is closely allied to the great " Mollies " of the 

 South Australian coasts, and, like them, and in fact all the 

 petrels, feeds on the water. I have seen several flying 

 slowly about the herring-boats at the mouth of the Elbe. 

 The egg is laid on a ledge. Egg, 3 inches; white. It 

 has a rough surface and, when first taken, a strong smell. 



3. THE SHEARWATERS. 



Tolerably common the non-breeding birds at any rate 

 on most parts of our coasts throughout the year, the 

 Manx Manx Shearwater breeds off the Cornish coast, 



Shearwater, perhaps on Lundy, and, I am told, among some 

 islets not far from Weymouth. It also nests among the 

 Scottish isles and at several points on the Irish coast. The 

 shearwaters differ from the petrels in the much longer 

 curved bill. The flight is rapid, and is performed just 

 clear of the water; arid I have seen the bird riding on 



