The Fulmcv 



395 





THE FULMAR, (Procdlaria glacialis,) 



Is a ^arger kind of Petrel, which is found not uncom- 

 monly on the British coasts, and is exceeding abundant 

 in the Arctic seas. Here it is a regular attendant upon 

 the whale-fishers when they are engaged in cutting up 

 a whale. Any fragments of blubber that happen to fall 

 into the water are immediate^ snapped by these greedy 

 birds, which clamour and squabble over the feast with so 

 little regard to the vicinity of the sailors, that they may 

 be knocked on the head with a boat-hook. They are in 

 high estimation in the countries they inhabit, on ac- 

 count of the large amount of oil they contain. It is 

 only rarely they are seen in England, nor do they regu- 

 larly frequent any part of Great Britain, except a few 

 of the northernmost islands of Scotland. Like the 

 other Petrels, they feed their 3 7 oung with a sort of oil, 

 which they have the power of exuding at will. 



