BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



43 



Sbearwater. 



THE Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus, Gmelin) is a casual 

 visitant during our summer to the British Islands, the 

 breeding area being in the Southern Seas. The adult has 

 the general colouration of the upper plumage sooty-brown, 

 with lighter margins to most of the feathers of back, scapu- 

 lars, and wing-coverts ; primaries and tail, blackish ; chin, 

 whitish ; rest of under parts, greyish-brown, several of the 

 feathers with paler centres ; irides, deep brown ; bill, dark 

 horn colour ; legs and feet, brown ; webs, paler. Length, 

 from sixteen to seventeen inches. It is said that the young 

 closely resemble the adults. 



