FULMAK 565 



that of a Shearwater, six to a dozen beats of the wing 

 being followed by a graceful glide on motionless and out- 

 stretched pinions, during which the bird often describes 

 a complete circle. 



In size, in colour, and in the occasional slow-flapping 

 flight, the Fulmar bears a superficial resemblance to a Gull, 

 but on watching the former for a little time, one sees that 

 the flapping motion occurs at infrequent intervals, and is of 

 brief duration, whereas the gliding movement, so charac- 

 teristic, is very prolonged. 



Food. Like other Petrels, the Fulmar delights in a 

 meal of offal, and it has a most voracious appetite. It 

 accompanies fishing-vessels, and will take a baited hook, 1 

 becoming bold to a degree when the nets are being with- 

 drawn, and approaching so closely that it can easily be 

 struck with a stick. Whale-blubber 2 and oily substances 

 are greedily devoured, and the bird is said to be fond of 

 cuttle-fish. It usually settles 3 on the water to pick up its 

 food, though I have seen it lift a long ribbon-like piece of 

 offal from the surface just before alighting. 



Voice. A soft note, which may be syllabled re-re-re, 

 ur-ur-ur, is sometimes heard, but, on the whole, the bird is 

 rather silent. 



When the Fulmar is taken in the hand it vomits a 

 quantity of clear, light brown oil ; this, and the feathers are 

 a source of profit to the people of St. Kilda, where the bird 

 nests numerously ; the flesh is also used by them for food. 



Nest. In May, this species comes to land for breeding- 

 purposes ; it is then gregarious, assembling in some places 

 in colonies consisting of several hundreds. Some colonies 

 are so densely crowded that every available spot on the 

 cliff is occupied, and, as one might expect, much variety 

 in the nesting-sites is to be seen. Thus the nest may be 



1 " Mr. Gurney has a barbed fish-hook 2^ inches long, with 28 inches 

 of twisted cord, which was taken out of a Fulmar Petrel caught off 

 Yarmouth in November, 1885" (A. Patterson, 'Zoologist,' 1901, p. 299). 



2 " It is well known to the whalers as a constant attendant on the 

 stricken whale, feeding voraciously on the carcases after the flensing 

 operations have terminated" (Jardine). 



3 1 have observed a flock of about sixty alight on the water, crowd 

 round and peck at the remains of a roast goose which had been cast 

 overboard. Though closely packed when feeding, they were most peace- 

 ful in their demeanour, nor were they disconcerted when a Great Skua 

 suddenly passed them with rapid sweep of wing. 



