GREATER SHEARWATER. 625 



also slender and curved at the point. Nostrils tubular, opening by two sepa- 

 rate orifices. Legs of moderate length, tarsi compressed laterally ; toes three in 

 front, rather long, webbed throughout ; hind toe rudimentary. Wings long and 

 pointed, the first quill-feather the longest. 



THE first example of the Greater Shearwater obtained in 

 this country was exhibited at a meeting of the Zoological 

 Society in July, 1832, by Mr. Arthur Strickland, of Boyn- 

 ton, near Burlington, in Yorkshire, who stated that it was 

 shot by Mr. George Marwood, jun., of Busby, in the 

 middle of August, 1828, on a very stormy day, at the 

 mouth of the Tees ; it was seen early in the morning, 

 sitting on the water like a duck, and was shot as it was 

 rising ; its manner of flight was consequently not noticed. 

 In 1833 Mr. Strickland very kindly gave me a coloured 

 drawing taken from his bird; this resembles the upper 

 figure in the woodcut here given. Since that period Mr. 

 Strickland has obtained a second specimen, much lighter 

 in colour on the under surface ; both these examples are 

 figured in the 19th part of the Birds of Europe, by Mr. 

 Gould, who remarks, " With respect to the specimens 

 forwarded by Mr. Strickland, which we have figured, we 

 have to observe, that these two birds, although agreeing 

 in their measurements with each other, differ slightly 

 from a specimen of Puffinus cinereus sent to us by M. 

 Temminck as an undoubted example of that species, Mr. 

 Strickland's specimens being less in all their measure- 

 ments; and could we have discovered any difference in 

 the markings of their plumage, we should have had no 

 hesitation in regarding them as distinct ; as it is, we 

 have here figured both Mr. Strickland's birds as of one and 

 the same species, but with a mark of doubt as to their 

 being examples of the true Puffinus cinereus" 



To these two figures M. Temminck refers in the 4th part 



VOL. III. 8 8 



