540 Laridw. 



species, as in France, Le Stercoraire d tongue queue; in Germany, 

 Struntmeve, ' Tail-Gull ' ; in Italy, titercorario di coda longa ; in 

 Sweden, Spets Stjertad Labbe, or ! Pointed-Tailed Labbe.' Bishop 

 Pontoppidan, when speaking of this bird, calls it Jo-tyv, or ' Jo- 

 thief,' and says it is an enemy to all other birds. The fishermen 

 and sailors on our coasts call it the ' Boatswain,' or ' Bo'sun,' as, 

 indeed, they call almost all birds with pointed tails, because 

 they carry their ' marline-spike,' the boatswain's emblem of office 

 in the merchant service, as is the whistle in the navy.* Else- 

 where it is called the 'Teazer,' which is very appropriate. In 

 its mode of flight, persecution of birds of inferior power, and 

 thievish propensities, it resembles its congener described above. 

 It is not by any means uncommon on our coasts all round the 

 island, though, of course, more abundant as we advance towards 

 the north, for its home is in the Arctic regions, and Sir E. Parry 

 found it as high as 82 north latitude. I have the pleasure of 

 adding this species to the Wiltshire list on the authority of Mr. 

 Baker, for he reports a specimen killed at Heytesbury in October, 

 1879, which he had an opportunity of examining at the bird- 

 stuffer's at Warminster, and pronounced it an immature bird, 

 the two central tail-feathers not having been developed. And 

 I have since learned from the Marlborough College Natural 

 History Reports that a specimen was shot near Martinsell in 

 1881. 



232. MANX SHEARWATER (Puffinus anglorum). 



The Petrels are at once recognisable by their peculiar beaks, 

 which are very much curved, arched, and hooked towards the 

 point, and also furrowed and indented and furnished with 

 tubular nostrils, through which they can eject at will a quantity 

 of oil, and for which latter valuable article they are highly 

 prized by the hardy natives of the Western Isles of Scotland. 

 Their legs are placed far backwards, which facilitates their 

 singular practice of running along the surface of the waves in 



* Fourth edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds,' vol. iii., p. 683. 



