'iiif' 



PROCELLARIin.K — THE PETIlELS — PUFKINUS. 



885 



validity 

 ilancl, iu 

 iiy other 

 i that its 

 issociate 

 observed 

 !arn any- 

 it quite 

 3 winter, 

 lie Alba- 

 y aroinul 

 of them, 

 appear to 

 ling them 

 lier states 

 11 Nicolas 

 irds were 



). Oni. P>iog. 

 1858, 834. -- 



-COUlvS, I'l'. 



2, 1882, iiu. 



e American 



siiles of till' 

 M'iDii, wliili', 



us ; funiDials 

 <ky (^reoiiisli 

 iklle uf oiiUi' 



side of tibia [i. e. tnrsus] din;,'}' oraiigp, the rest greenish black, as is the fourth toe and outer side of 

 tlie tliird, the inside of the hitter and the wiiolo of the second dingy orange ; the webs much paler ; 

 claws brownish black" (AuDunox). 



Total length, about 15.00 inches; u.\tent, 32.(H); wing, 8.50-9.25 ; culnien, 1.35-1.40; depth of 

 bill through base, .40-45; tarsus, 1.70-1.80; middle toe, 1.C5-1.70. 



Although some writers speak of this species as being common on the North 

 Atlantic coast of America, I am disposed to question the correctness of this state- 

 ment. At most, so far as I can as(!ertain, it is possibly of very occasional nnd rare 

 occurrence, and only to be met with after a violent storm ; but even of tliis Ave Inave 

 110 evidence. So far as I can learn, this bird does not breed on any part of our coast, 

 nor has it been noticed on any of our Arctic exploring expeditions. Except at sea, 

 several hundred miles from our coast, it was not seen by Audubon, and is given by 

 I'rofessor Keinhardt as being only an occasional visitor iu Greenland. Mr. IJoardman 

 hiforms me that a single individual of this s])ecies has from time to time been met 

 with at s.'a off the coast of Maine and Nova Scotia ; but he regards such an occurrence 

 as something extremely uncommon, and as purely accidental. This bird is also men- 

 tioned as being only an accidental and very rare visitor on the coast of Long Island. 

 It is exclusively acpiatic, and never visits land except for purposes of incubation, 

 geii(>rally selecting islands remote from the mainland, the rocky nature of which 

 otters favorable opportunities for seclusion and safety. It is found in such situations 

 along the western shore of Europe, from Iceland to the Mediterranean, and is more 

 conimon in the latter sea than in its more northern breeding-places. 



In Iceland, according to Faber, it remains all the winter, occurring only in its 

 neighboring water. It is ninre common iu the south, especially on the Vestinannaeyjar, 

 than in the north. 



According to Mr. Howard Saunders, it is quitj abundant on the Mediterranean 

 coast of Spain ; but from the nocturnal character of its habits, it does not appear to 

 be so common as it really is. But, he adds, pass a night at sea iu a fishing-boat, and 

 as the sun goes down, and the last ro.sy tint fades from the mountains, the air sud- 

 denly becomes alive with dark, sharp-winged I\Ianx Shearwaters, dashing hither and 

 thither in the gloom, and justifying the name the ^lahiga fishermen give to them of 

 Aidma,^ and Duihlos. They breed on the Island of Dragonera; but, to ^Fr. Saunders's 

 great surprise, he was too late to procure their eggs, for all liad been hatched out 

 before the 2()tli of May. 



Mr. Godman found this speci(>s at the Azores, but not so abuiulant as was a larger 

 one (/'. Kiildil '.'). Like the latter, it was found to be breeding in holes iu the cliff.s, in 

 May. It is highly esteemed by the inhabitants as an article of food. The specimens 

 obtained were all very fat, and two of the females were found to contain eggs ready 

 fur exclusion. 



Ill his account of the birds of Madeira and the (-anary Islands. Mr. Godman refers 

 to this species as occurring in all the islands of those groups, and thinks that it must 

 bleed on the Descrtas and on other neighboring islands, as he saw it there in consid- 

 erable numbers in the month of June. 



Mr. C. A. Wright ("Ibis/" lS(i4) speaks of it as a resident sjjeeies, breeding in 

 I'oiiipany with F. cinereits (P. Kuhlii) on the southern coast of IVIalta, and on several 

 small rocky islands in the neighborhood. He states that he has freipiently visited 

 I'llfla iu June and July, and taken the eggs, as well as the young and the old birds. 

 'iliis species Lays a single egg, of pure white color, which it deposits in a crevice or 

 under a fragment of rock, and whiidi is said to be smaller and more elliptical than 

 the egg of the larger species, to which he refers under the name of P. vincveus. 

 VOL. II. — 49 



