PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 383 



it not infrequently occurs on most parts of our coasts : inland records generally 

 follow northerly and westerly gales (cf. Saunders, III. Man. British Birds, 2nd ed., 

 1899, p. 729). On both seaboards of Great Britain this petrel occurs as an occasional 

 autumn and winter visitor : September 17th is the earliest Yorkshire date, and 

 October and November are the chief months in Dumfriesshire, and November in 

 Kent (cf. Nelson, B. of Yorks., 1907, p. 750 ; Gladstone, B. of Dumfries., 1910, 

 p. 468 ; and Ticehurst, B. of Kent, 1909, p. 547). Off Cornwall it is as common 

 in some winters as the storm-petrel (cf. Saunders, loc. cit.). A few breed in Ireland, 

 but it is chiefly known in that country as an accidental visitor in early winter, and 

 has not been recorded at all in February or March (cf. Ussher and Warren, B. of 

 Ireland, 1900, p. 387). Unusual numbers were noted both in Scotland and in 

 Ireland in the autumn of 1891 (cf. Saunders, loc. cit.). [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. In nesting habits it resembles the storm-petrel, 

 breeding sometimes in holes among boulders and rocks, and at other times in 

 burrows about 20 inches long in the turf, ending in an enlarged cavity, and con- 

 structed probably by the birds themselves, though sometimes they make use of 

 puffin-holes. (PI. LXXV.) The nest consists of a handful of dry grass, on which the 

 single egg is deposited. In appearance it resembles that of the storm-petrel, and 

 has the same dull chalky surface, but is decidedly larger, and nearly all eggs show 

 more or less the wreath of reddish markings at the big end. (PI. V.) Average 

 size of 30 eggs, 1'3 x *95 in. [33 x 24'1 mm.]. Incubation is shared by both sexes 

 (Hantzsch), 1 and the same observer states that it lasts about five weeks, which, 

 judging from what we know of the storm-petrel, is probably correct. The breeding 

 season begins in the last days of May or early in June, but fresh eggs may be 

 obtained also in July. Only one young bird is reared in the season. [F. c. R. J.] 



5. Food. Fish-fry, small Crustacea, and cuttle-fish, and sorrel obtained from 

 the breeding-ground. The young are fed by both parents on regurgitated oil. [w. p. p.] 



GREAT-SHEARWATER [Puffinus grdvis (O'Reilly). Hagdown 

 (Ireland); hackbolt (Devon). French, puffin grand; German, grosse Sturm- 

 Taucher ; Italian, no popular name]. 



I. Description. The great-shearwater is the largest of our native petrels, 

 and may at once be distinguished not only on account of its size but also by the 

 dark brown colour of the crown and nape, and the brown mottling on the middle 



1 Pour birds secured on the eggs in S. Kilda proved to be males (J. Wiglesworth), but others 

 taken under similar circumstances on N. Rons were all females. 



