418 BRITISH BIRDS. 



In the Pacific Ocean the Great Shearwater is represented by two allied 

 species, both of which are about the same size and have the same pale 

 edges to the feathers of the upper parts. Puffinus leucomelas occurs in 

 the North Pacific on the Asiatic coasts, and differs in having the margins 

 of the feathers of the back nearly white, the feathers of the head and hind 

 neck also margined with white, and the white on the upper tail-coverts 

 more developed. P. cr eat opus occurs within the tropics on the American 

 coasts of the Pacific, and differs in having no white on the upper tail-coverts. 



The Great Shearwater is a bird of the open ocean, wandering far and 

 wide, sporting on rapid wings hither and thither in search of food, and 

 dropping buoyantly on the water to sleep or rest. A bird of such habits 

 has no cause to visit the land, except during the few months of the breeding- 

 season, and as soon as the young are safely reared it is off to the ocean 

 again. Beyond the peculiarities of its flight, and its attendance upon 

 ocean-going vessels, little has been recorded of the habits of the Great 

 Shearwater, and nothing is known of its life-history during the breeding- 

 season. 



In crossing the Atlantic in autumn the Great Shearwater is much more 

 local than either the Fulmar or Wilson's Petrel. I have occasionally seen 

 them approach very near the ship, but they never seemed to take any notice 

 of it, nor did they follow in the ship's wake or stoop to pick up any thing 

 that might be thrown out to attract them. 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 underparts 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 during flight, and the neck is shortened so as to produce 

 the appearance of a white streak behind the ear-coverts. It is impossible 

 to ascertain during flight whether the under tail-coverts be white or not, 

 as they are always covered by the outstretched feet. The Great Shear- 

 water has even greater power on the wing than the Fulmar ; he flies with 

 the wings more bent, and seems to follow the surface of the waves still 

 closer ; he really does " shear " the " water/' only now and then rising 

 with Swallow-like flight above the horizon. He skims along the surface 

 of the Atlantic billows with almost motionless wings, turning suddenly to 

 avoid a breaker or to follow some object floating on the water which has 

 caught his eye, and which he sometimes snatches up without apparently 

 lessening his speed. Wind or rain do not appear to incommode him in 

 the least, he never seems tired. He is very rarely seen to alight on the 

 surface of the water ; he sometimes remains in sight for an hour together, 

 but more often he passes on, and frequently not a Shearwater is visible 

 during the whole day. 



