80 Mr. D. A. Baniierman on an Ornithological 



12. Puffinus kuhli flavirvstris. — These Shearwaters were as 

 numerous in this island as in Graciosa. They were nesting 

 under the shelving strata just above sea-level, in burrows 

 amongst the sandhills, under the loose lava lumps on the 

 mountain side at 600 ft., and again in burrows on a plateau 

 at the summit of the volcano. Our camp, situated on 

 the lowest ridge, was surrounded on all sides by their 

 nesting-holes, and as a result sleep for the first two nights 

 was almost impossible. 



As I have given a long description of the habits of this 

 Shearwater in my account of the Birds of Graciosa 

 (pp. 66-70), it is unnecessary to add more, but it may be 

 noted that, on my arrival in this island on June the 7th, 

 every bird had commenced to sit. 



13. Bulweria hulweri.^-T\\\& was the only small island 

 on which we found Bulwer's Petrel breeding. Here, how- 

 ever, they were quite common, '. although their numbers 

 seemed but scant in comparison with those of the large 

 Shearwaters ! By far the most attractive in appearance of 

 all the Petrels, these sombre-coloured little birds were 

 breeding all round the island under the large boulders 

 which had fallen from the cliffs. They were most common 

 in the actual neighbourhood of my camp, where many 

 of their nesting-sites were under rocks only just beyond 

 the reach of the waves. Holes were sometimes utilised, 

 and we found two close together about 40 ft. up the side 

 of the cliff, each containing a bird. , We dug these holes 

 out and found the birds sitting about 2ft from the entrance. 

 In no case was there any attempt at a nest, the single egg 

 being deposited on the bare stone. At the time of my visit 

 all the birds had laid. In one case a fisherman brought in 

 two eggs, which he assured me he had found in the same 

 '' nest " lying side by side, doubtless the product of two 

 females. All the eggs were freshly laid, and I gathered 

 from the fishermen that the birds had not long come to 

 land. 



Bulwer's Petrel is almost entirely nocUirnal in its habits, 



