U7 



be males all with bare nesting -patches. The only female was 

 very downy on this spot but without contour feathers. 



The contents of their stomachs consisted of rather big 

 crustaceans, Hyperia and Gammarus ; only a single bird Avas 

 found to contain remains of fish. Besides they all had cuttle- 

 fish beaks in their crops. These horny objects evidently do duty 

 for stones which are very rarely found in the crop. 



Once I had the opportunity of seeing the Fulmar catching 

 fish. While it is generally skimming over the waves and fre- 

 quently takes its spoil on the wing, in this case it settled down 

 upon the water and moved forwards in little jumps with half- 

 spread wings snatching the fish which by whales were driven 

 up to the surface in a compact shoal. It only put its head 

 under the water and did not display any swimming-diver per- 

 formance, as it sometimes does. However it is probably unable 

 to dive deeper than two or three feet. 



During the light summer time it is on the wing through 

 the whole of the night and strange to say 1 never saw it sleep 

 in the night but on the contrary in daytime. — Later, in 

 Davis Strait, I have observed the Fulmar sleeping on the water 

 during the warmest time of the day. 



It skims indefatigably over the waves, at open sea very 

 seldom rising to a greater height than a few yards above the 

 surface. In calm weather it moves the wings rather quickly, 

 but in a breeze or a gale it can rest upon its spread wings, and 

 cruise against the wind by changing the position of the body 

 to the direction of the wind, but without, apparently at least, 

 moving the wings. 



It is indeed a splendid sight to see this excellent flier 

 move about in the air during a storm, but this same bird makes 

 a very wretched figure, when caught and placed on the deck 

 of a ship. The legs can hardly support the body and when it 

 wants to get along quickly the wings must be used as assistance. 

 And yet it cannot rise into the air. It is evidently feeling very 



10* 



