PROCELLARINJE. PROCELLARIA. 259 



pressed ; upper mandible with the ridge formed of two 

 generally united plates, at the anterior part of which are 

 the more or less tubular nostrils, the tip decurved, com- 

 pressed, and pointed ; lower mandible with the angle 

 very long and narrow, the edges sharp, the tip decurved. 

 Mouth wide ; palate longitudinally ridged ; tongue ta- 

 pering, acuminate, flat above ; oesophagus of moderate 

 width, but within the thorax dilated into an enormous 

 sac; stomach very small, usually reversed; intestine long, 

 slender ; cceca very small, or wanting. Feet of moderate 

 length, rather slender ; tibia bare below ; tarsus little 

 compressed ; toes four ; the first extremely small and 

 elevated, with a large conical decurved or deflected claw ; 

 anterior toes webbed ; claws arched, compressed, acute : 

 Plumage soft, full, rather compact above ; wings long, 

 rather narrow, pointed ; tail short, of from twelve to six- 

 teen feathers. 



These birds lead a peculiarly erratic life, most of them 

 not only wandering along the coast, but over the ocean 

 at vast distances from land. They feed on fish, carcasses 

 of various kinds, Crustacea, mollusca, and other animals, 

 as well as fatty matters floating on the sea. 



GENUS CLV. PROCELLARIA. FULMAR. 



The Fulmars are birds of large or moderate size, resem- 

 bling Gulls and Albatrosses in their form and habits. The 

 body is rather full ; the neck of moderate length, or short ; 

 the head rather large and ovate. Bill rather shorter than 

 the head, stout, moderately compressed, straight, with the 

 tip much decurved ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 straight or concave, then abrupt at the nasal apertures, 

 which are dorsal, the plate covering the nostrils separated 

 by grooves from the erect convex sides, the terminal unguis 

 or tip strong, decurved, acute ; lower mandible with the 

 angle long and narrow, the sides erect, with a longitudinal 

 groove, the edges sharp, the dorsal line very short, ascend- 

 ing, slightly concave, the edges decurved at the end. Mouth 



