Food. 
General 
descrip- 
tion. 
Adult bird. 
526 NATATORES. PROCELLARIA. PETREL. 
sential point, therefore, that they should be taken and killed 
by surprise, in order to prevent the loss of a liquid so requi- 
site for the comfort of the inhabitants, by supplying them 
with the necessary fuel for their lamps. The Fulmar is of 
voracious appetite, feeding upon all sorts of animal substance, 
particularly of an oily nature, such as the blubber of whales, 
seals, &c.; and for this purpose, it follows in great numbers 
the track of the whale vessels, and is so greedy of its favour- 
ite food, as to be often seen alighting upon the wounded. 
animal, when not quite dead, and immediately proceeding to 
break the skin with its strong hooked bill, and gorging itself 
with the blubber to repletion, Upon the banks of New- 
foundland it is also a constant attendant upon the fishing- 
vessels. Here it is known by the appellation of John Down, 
living luxuriously upon the liver and offal of the cod-fish ; 
and is often taken alive by a hook baited with a piece of the 
liver or flesh. During the summer its polar migration ex- 
tends to very high latitudes. Captain Sazine states it to 
be abundant at all times in Davis’ Straits and Baffin’s Bay ; 
and the same author, in his Memoirs of the Birds of Green- 
land, observes, that whilst the ships were detained by ice in 
Jacob’s Bay, latitude 71°, from the 24th of June to the 3d 
of July, Fulmars were passing in a continual stream to the 
northward, in numbers inferior only to the flight of the pas- 
senger pigeon in North America. From the extent of its 
wings the Fulmar flies with great buoyancy, and is seldom 
seen near the shore, except during the period of reproduc- 
tion; at other times remaining out at sea, and seeking its 
repose by floating upon the surface of the water. 
Pirate 102, Fig. 1. Represents the Adult bird of the natu- 
ral size. 
Bill bright gamboge-yellow, with the nasal tube inclining 
to saffron-yellow, very strong and powerful. Ivides 
pale king’s-yellow. Head, neck, rump, tail, and under 
parts of the body pure white. Mantle, scapulars, wing- 
5 
