227 



CHAPTER X. 



LONGIPENNES ; LONG-WINGED. SKIMMERS SINGULAR BILL. 

 TERNS, OR SEA-SWALLOWS ANECDOTE OF. GULLS CAPA- 

 CITY FOR ENDURING COLD VORACIOUS FEEDERS BREEDING 



PLACES. SOUTH STACK DESCRIBED. ALBATROSS ROAMING 



HABITS. TRISTAN D^ACUNHA : RESORT FOR BREEDING- 

 VORACITY. PETRELS NESTS FEED AT NIGHT SUPERSTI- 

 TION OF SAILORS RESPECTING. BREVIPENNES ; SHORT- 

 WINGED. DIVERS. CRESTED GREBE GREAT DESTROYERS 



OF FISH. GUILLEMOTS. RAZOR-BILLS. PUFFINS AND 



AUKS. 



TABLE XXIX. (See vol. L, p. 24.) 



Order 6. PALMIPEDES. Tribe 3. LONGIPENNES. 

 (Long -winged). 



THIS tribe comprises: 1. Rhynchops, or Skimmers; 

 2. Sterna, Terns; 3. Larus, Gulls; 4. Diomedoea, 

 Albatross; 5. Procellaria, Petrels. 



All these are long-winged birds, proper to the 

 main ocean, and, by means of their powers of flight, 

 are spread widely over the world. They may be 

 known by either having no back-toe at all, or by 

 that toe being free that is, not united with the 

 others by a membrane, forming one large web, as in 

 the preceding tribe ; and by their bill, without in- 

 dentations, but bent at the end, as in the Procel- 

 laria or Petrels, the extremity of which seems to 

 consist of a piece fastened on, or pointed, as in all 

 the rest. 



The Skimmer (Rhynchops) derives its name from 

 the way in w r hich it feeds, flying generally so close 



