MANX SHEARWATER. 255 



THE MANX SHEARWATER, PUFFINUS ANGLORUM. 

 Procellaria puffinus, Briss., Lath. Puffinu* 

 Anglorum, Will., Ray, Selby, fyc. Manx Petrel, 

 or Sheancater of British authors. This species ap- 

 pears to have been at one period much more abun- 

 dant than it is now, its habits leading it apparently 

 to shun the habitations of man ; and it has thus 

 banished itself from some of the stations which 

 were formerly occupied by it. These, like the 

 breeding-places of most of the sea fowls, are taken 

 up by colonies, which, although numerous at their 

 different resorts, are often far removed from each 

 other, and are selected in places where some 

 peculiarity pleases the birds, but which renders 

 their distribution extremely local. Formerly, the 

 small precipitous island, separated by a narrow 

 channel from the mainland of Man, and called the 

 " Calf," was the best known station, probably then 

 the only known one, and gave the bird its title; 

 but becoming more frequented, and a light-house 

 being erected, the birds disappeared entirely, and 

 on a visit which we made to this interesting island, 

 we were much disappointed in scarcely being able 

 to trace even the recollection of their former abun- 

 dance. We are not aware of this Shearwater 

 having been seen in the Solway, or about its en- 

 trance, for many years. On the Calf of Man the 

 birds bred in burrows, but at tha time of our visit, 

 there was little cover on the island except whin, 

 and in some places long heatb. To the northward 



