ALGERIAN CINEREOUS SHEARWATER. 87 



There has been a good deal of confusion among the Shearwaters, 

 which seems to have arisen from the general resemblance to each 

 other of some of the species, and their sexual differences. Of the 

 Cinereous Shearwaters there are three which have been more or less 

 thus mixed up — the subject of the present notice, P. major, and P. 

 fuUginosa. It is the latter which has been taken frequently in the 

 British Isles, and from its resemblance to P. cinereus, has generally- 

 been described and figured as that bird, although distinguished from 

 it by its smaller size and more slender beak. On the other hand, P. 

 major has been taken in Great Britain, and has been figured as P. 

 cinereus by Selby and Gould. Mr. Yarrell figures the bird correctly 

 enough, from specimens sent to him by Mr. Mitchell, of Penzance, 

 but in his description he says that he never saw a specimen of P. 

 major which exceeded eighteen inches in length, which creates the 

 suspicion of a further mistake, as P. major of Faber, the bird which 

 I shall figure and notice next, is upwards of nineteen inches in length, 

 — Degland says upwards of twenty-four inches. 



As it is impossible without comparison to form a correct opinion 

 upon the subject, I will figure an undoubted specimen of P. cinereus 

 of Cuvier, and also one of P. major of Faber; leaving the question 

 whether either or both have been taken in Great Britain, to be decided 

 by British ornithologists. 



The Algerian Cinereous Shearwater, as its name implies, is common 

 on the north-west coast of Africa, and about the Mediterranean and 

 Adriatic Seas. 



The Cinereous Shearwater is seen especially in the tempest and the 

 storm. In its habits it is crepuscular, feeding during the twilight or 

 early sunrise, and keeping out of sight during the day. It feeds 

 principally on fishes, worms, molluscs, and crustaceans, which it finds 

 tossed about by the waves on the surface of the ocean. 



It builds among the rocks, laying, like the rest of its family, but 

 a singrle white es:ar. 



The male and female have the head, nape, and scapularies greyish 

 brown, the most inferior of the latter, like the rest of the back, 

 wings, and tail, dark brown; upper tail coverts light brown, edged 

 with finely-spotted white. Primaries black, with the broad part of 

 the inner web white, shaded off to light brown. Cheeks and sides of 

 the neck and chest finely-mottled grey; throat, crop, abdomen, and 

 under wing and tail coverts pure white. Beak yellowish, with the 

 point and hook dark brown. Feet and legs livid yellow; iris brown. 



My figure is taken from an Algerian specimen sent to me by Mr. 

 Tristram. The egg was sent to me from Malta by Dr. Leith Adams, 

 by whom it was captured with mother. 



