SOOTY SHEAKWATEK 553 



In its general habits, form of flight, and food, the Sooty 

 Shearwater does not seem to differ materially from its 

 larger congener. 



Nest. The nesting-habits have been observed on some 

 of the islands (notably the Chatham group) off the shores 

 of New Zealand. " According to the experience of Mr. 

 Travers in the Chatham Islands, this species makes, in the 

 peaty ground, a burrow which runs horizontally for about 

 three or four feet and then turns to the right or left ; 

 while a slight nest of twigs, and leaves at the extremity 

 serves as a receptacle for the single white egg. From 

 a series of measurements given by Dr. H. O. Forbes, the 

 average appears to be 3 in. by 2 in. On the Island of 

 Kapiti, off New Zealand, this species was found breeding 

 in February and even as late as March. The male assists 

 in the work of incubation, and the young birds, which are 

 very fat, are esteemed a delicacy by the Maories, who also 

 hold them over their mouths in order to swallow the oily 

 matter which is disgorged. The old birds roost on the 

 shore, and are very noisy during the night" (Saunders). 



Geographical distribution. Despite the fact that this 

 Shearwater is plentifully distributed in summer over the 

 North Atlantic and North Pacific, there is no evidence to 

 show that it is other than a visitor from the Southern 

 Oceans. As a wanderer it reaches latitudes even north of 

 the British Isles, having occurred in the Faroes, while 

 southward it visits the western sea-board of Europe. West- 

 ward it is generally distributed in the Atlantic along the 

 coasts of Canada and the States, especially at the fishing- 

 banks. In the North Pacific it may be traced as high as 

 the Kurile Islands. It usually migrates north in our 

 summer, returning in late autumn to islands in the Southern 

 Oceans, as far as lat. 50 S., to breed during our winter 

 and early spring months. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Head, neck, back, 

 scapulars, and wings, deep brown, the feathers of the back 

 being edged with lighter brown ; primaries and tail-feathers, 

 blackish- brown ; throat and upper breast, ash-brown ; 

 lower breast and abdomen, dark ash-brown, the edge of 

 each feather being darker than the centre. 



