22 8 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



same as is to be seen on the Fulmars.' A very fair skin was made of the bird, 

 which I have presented to the collections in the Museum of Science and Art, 

 Edinburgh. I have identified probably two hundred or two hundred and fifty 

 Great Shearwaters in western Scottish waters, but saw none there during the 

 present season" ("Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist." October, 1898, p. 238). 



The chief food of the Great Shearwater is the squid ; but it also captures 

 fish, and devours the offal thrown over-board by fishing boats. The late Mr. 

 Seebohm considered that the Great Shearwater was much more local in the 

 Atlantic than the Fulmar or Wilson's Petrel. " Sometimes half a dozen may be 

 seen together, but more often they are in pairs. Compared with the Fulmars 

 they look very black, but as they turn so that the sun shines upon them, they 

 look brown against the blue waves. Their under parts look almost white, but as 

 they skim up from the waves, the brown edges of the under wing-coverts can 

 easily be seen. The white on the upper tail-coverts is conspicuous in flight, and 

 the neck is shortened so as to produce the appearance of a white streak behind 

 the ear-coverts." The Great Shearwater has the crown dark brown ; the neck 

 nearly white ; the upper parts brown, with pale edges to the feathers ; primaries 

 and tail blackish-brown ; under parts white, varied with brown on the belly and 

 sides of the breast ; upper mandible grey, lower paler ; tarsus, toes, and webs 

 pinkish-white, a dark band traversing the outer surface of tarsus and outer toe. 

 Total length about 19 inches; wing 13 inches; tarsus 2'4- All the measurements 

 of Petrels vary in individual specimens. 



