PROCELLARIID.fi — THE PETRELS — OSSIFRAGA. 



365 



of ThalasHulronKP. Its wings wpfp, lik«> those of an Albatross, long and narrow, and 

 in flying were extendod almost in a straight line, at right angles from the Iwdy. Its 

 tiiglit was chiefly sailing, which, tiiough long continued, was performed with great 

 rai>idity and apparent ease. The bird was called a " MoUy-Mawk " by the seamen, 

 some of whom recognized in it an old acquaintance. It was frequently seen 

 alighting and resting on the water. 



Dr. ('ooi»er mentions (" Am. Nat." X. 758) having observed this enormous Petrel 

 — known to whalers as the "Gong" — oif the coast, at Monterey, Cal. The whale- 

 Hsluiry had attracted it nearer the land than was usual, and it could bo seen swim- 

 ming lazily near the try-works, in order to pick up scraps of blubber. According 

 to his experience, it usually keeps very far from land, as he has never seen any bird 

 answering its description nearer to the Californian coast, though Steller refers to it a.s 

 having been seen by him in great numbers feeding on a dead whale, two hundred 

 vtTsts from the land off the northwest coast. 



('aptain Sperling speaks of the Giant Petrel as not uncommon from the Cape of 

 Good Hope as far south as latitude 21"; beyond that he saw no more of it. At 

 night, when hovering over the ship, this bird would emit the most diabolical cry — 

 lietween a croak and a scream — often startling the sailors, who could hardly imagine 

 to what cause these sounds were to be attributed. 



Captain C. C. Abbott mentions flnding this species common along the shores of 

 tlie East Falkland Islands. It was generally seen on the wing, though occasionally it 

 was resting on the water. He was told that it breeds on many of the adjacent islets ; 

 Mild as a proof of the correctness of the statement, he mentions that the eggs were 

 friHluently brought to him. 



This species is included by Mr. G. R. Gray in his list of the birds of New Zealand 

 and of the adjacent islands. 



Captain Hutton (" Ibis," ISCj) states that it breeds on the cliffs of Prince Edward's 

 Island and of Kerguelen Island, in localities which are not entirely inaccessible. The 

 nestlings are at first covered with a beautiful long light-gray down ; and when fledged 

 tlicy iire d.ark brown, mottled with white. When a person approaches the nest, the 

 old Itirds remain a short distance away, while the young ones squirt a horribly smell- 

 iiif,' oil out of their nostrils, to a distance of six or eight feet. This Fulmar is renuuk- 

 alilc for its voracity, hovering over the sealers when they are cutting up a seal, and 

 •li'vouring the carcase the moment it is abandoned. This bird was. known to the 

 sailors as the " Melly." It will occasionally chase the sm.iller sea-birds, but it is not 

 known ever to kill them ; and as these are swift on the wing, it is doubtful if they 

 (ilind l)c overtaken by this bird. Captain Hutton entirely discredits the statements 

 ol \iU\i\ Macartney, that this si)ecics is in the habit of killing other birds, and then 

 (inly feeding upon the heart and liver of its victims. 



Mr. Layard (" Ibis," 18G2) mentions his first meeting with it in the Antarctic Ocean, 

 in latitude 41° S., in company with the Hlack Albatross — I), fulirjinosii. Many of 

 this sj)ecies took the hook freely, when the vessel was not going through the water. 

 Tlicy were all unusually lean, and it was presumed that their breeding-season was 

 already over, and that they were fending their young birds — or this was the only 

 way in which their jwor condition coidd be accounted for. 



Mr. Layard afterward (" Ibis," 18G7) describes the egg of this species obtained in 

 thi' Crozette Islands by Captain Armson. It measures 4.1'*"» inches in length by 2.G6 

 in Itrcailth, is of a dirty white, and very rough to the touch, reminding one of 

 tlic eg<^ of a Crar. In shajie it is like that of a common (.Joose, and is rather 

 jmiiited at each end. It retains the strong musky odor of the parents, which ia called 



