CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 8. NATATORES. 



343 



spars of vessels, where it sleeps so soundly that it is often caught by the seamen. When seized 

 in the hand it utters a rough cry, not unlike that of a young American crow taken from the nest. 

 On such occasions it bites severely with quickly-repeated movements of the bill, Avhich, on mis- 

 sing the object aimed at, closes with a snap. Some which I kept several days refused all kinds of 

 food became dull and languid, and at length died. While hovering over us near their nests, these 

 birds emitted a low, querulous murmur, and if unmolested, would attempt to light on our heads. 

 After a few visits, however, they became rather more careful of themselves, although the sitting 

 birds often suffered us to put a hat over them." 



The Catalogue of the Smithsonian Institution has the following : the Caspian Tern, *S^. Caspia; 

 found on the coast of New Jersey : the Royal Tern, S. regia ; found on the Atlantic and Pacific 

 coasts of Southern North America : the Elegant Tern, ^S*. elegant ; found on coast of California : 

 Cabot's Tern, S. acufiavida ; found in Texas and Florida: IIavell's Tern, S. Havelli ; found 

 from South Carolina to Texas: Trudeau's Tern, S. Trudeauil ; coasts of New Jersey and Long 

 Island : Wilson's Tern, >S. Wilsoni ; from Texas to Labrador : Forster's Tern, S. Forsteri ; 

 from Louisiana to Labrador: and the Slender-Billed Tern, S. Fikci ; coast of California. 

 This list by no means includes all the American species of this extensive race of birds. 





TUE GUEATEU SHEAEWATEB. 



Genus PUFFINUS : Pxiffinus. — This includes several species popularly called Shearwaters. 

 These birds have forked tails, long wings, and immense powers of flight. They skim along 

 the surface of the ocean, frequently dipping the elongated lower mandible in the water, thus 

 scooping up the small fishes and Crustacea on which they feed. They also insert their beaks into 

 the bivalve mollusca, which chance to be open, and then beat them on the sands or rocks till 

 they are killed, and are thus devoured at leisure. They lay their eggs in hollows in the sand, 

 and when the young are hatched attend to them with great devotion. 



The Greater Shearwater, P. major, is eighteen inches long; color blackish-brown above; 

 beneath grayish-brown. Yarrell regards it as the Wandering Shearwater of Audubon and Nuttall. 

 It is found, though rarely, in Europe ; breeds abundantly on the coast of Newfoundland. The 



