2 3 S BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND Eccs. 



to rotundo-ovate and oblongo-ovate. Colour white. The dimensions appear to 

 vary from 2'f X 1*82 to 3'2 X 2 - o. Buller states that he found nestlings of this 

 Shearwater in their deep burrows on Whale Island in the middle of January, 

 when black quills were sprouting through their thick mantle of slaty-grey down. 

 March ant found half-grown young in burrows near the summit of the Island of 

 Kapiti about the end of February. This Shearwater agrees with most of its 

 congeners in being largely nocturnal and very noisy during the breeding season. 

 In its pelagic habits it appears to be similar to other Petrels. The Sooty Shear- 

 water was formerly supposed to be the young of the Greater Shearwater. Mr. 

 Ridgway proposed to separate the Atlantic form of the Sooty Shearwater from 

 the Pacific form, but .the late Mr. O. Salvin failed to see " how two species can 

 be set up." The Sooty Shearwater has the upper parts sooty brown, darker on 

 the head, lower back, wings and tail ; under surface greyer ; the throat and 

 breast paler ; quills dark sooty brown ; under wing-coverts greyish white. Total 

 length about eighteen inches, wing 12 inches; tarsus 2'4- 



Family PUFFINID&. Subfamily PUFFININJL. 



CAPPED PETREL. 



(Estrelata fuzsitata (KuiiL.) 



THIS Petrel is a West Indian species, belonging it is supposed, to Haiti and 

 Martinique, whence it has strayed on a few isolated occasions to the 

 eastern coast of the United States, as well as to Western Europe. In the 

 spring of 1850, a Capped Petrel was caught on a heath at Southacre, Norfolk, 

 thus establishing its claim to be considered British. The adult has the crown 

 dark brown, upper surface sooty brown ; hind-neck, forehead, upper tail-coverts, 

 breast and belly, white, with a few dark feathers on the flanks ; margin of the 

 wing and tail sooty black, with white shafts. Total length about 16 inches ; bill, 

 i '7; tarsus i'56. 



