SHEARWATER. NAT A TORES. PUFFINUS. 531 



species as feeding by day and not by night, for he says, 

 " the old ones, early in the morning at break of day, leave 

 the nests and young, and the island itself, and spend the 

 whole day in fishing in the sea, never returning or setting 

 foot on the island before evening twilight, so that all the day 

 the island is so quiet and still from all noise, as if there were 

 not a bird about it." This is repeated by PENNANT, and by 

 subsequent compilers ; but I am inclined to think, that from 

 ignorance of the real habits of the bird, he has taken up a 

 wrong impression, and that the stillness observed upon the 

 island during the day did not arise from the absence of the 

 birds at sea, but from their remaining in their burrows, tak- 

 ing their natural repose, and which is, I think, borne out by 

 the fact of their acknowledged activity at evening twilight 

 and morning dawn. This Shearwater feeds upon all kinds Food. 

 of marine animal substance, particularly such as is in a state 

 of decomposition, and easily reducible to oil, into which it is 

 soon converted by the action of the stomach. With this 

 liquid it feeds its young, and also defends itself from its ene- 

 mies by squirting it in their faces from its tubular nostrils. 

 It flies very rapidly, skimming along the surface of the waves, 

 and using its palmated feet to support itself whilst picking 

 up its floating food, or to aid its impetuosity when cutting 

 through the curling crests of the waves. For this purpose 

 its feet are placed far backwards, so that on land it is com- 

 pelled to sit nearly in an erect position. 



PLATE 102. Represents the bird of the natural size, from 



the specimen above mentioned. 



Head, nape, back part of the neck, and upper plumage, General 

 deep greyish-black, with a glossy lustre. Sides of the 

 neck and breast transversely rayed with grey and white. 

 Chin, throat, fore part of the neck, and under plumage 

 pure white. Behind the thighs is a patch of black. 

 Quills and tail black, the wings, when closed, reaching 

 nearly to the end of the tail. Bill yellowish-brown at 



