COLYMBID^. 409 



exfoliated. "We made a section through it, and then forwarded it to 

 Mr. Yarrell, who was much interested with it. In spite of haviug to 

 carry ahont such a burden, the bird was fat and in excellent condition. 

 (Zool. 1S59, p. 6448.) 



A Fulmar occurred near Plymouth, November 18-14 (W. S. H., Zool. 1845, p. 879). 

 There is a nearly adult specimen in the A. M. M. which was killed with an oar on the 

 Exe just above Topsham ; Mr. Ross records it in his MS. ' British Laridte,' but gives 

 no date. A calcareous concretion was taken out of the vent and was preserved. One 

 occurred at Bigbury Bay (J. B. E., Trans. Plym. Inst. 1862-3, p. 82"). Another was 

 picked up alive near Dawlish, November 30th, 186(5 (C. S., Zool. 18l)7, p. 562), and 

 another is recorded by Mr. G. P. R. Puliuan in his ' Book of the Axe ' (2nd ed. p. 27). 

 A female was captured alive at Plymouth, October 24th, 1867 (J. H. G-.). 



Four or live have been obtained on the Cornish coast, most of them 

 picked up either dead or in an exhausted state ; we saw an example in 

 the Museum at Truro, There ap])ears to be no record of this species from 

 Dorsetshire; and only two from the county of Somerset — one reported by 

 ourselves in the ' Zoologist' (lb69, p. 1(344), an adult which was shot at 

 Weston-super-Mare in the winter of 1868, among the numerous Gulls 

 which came into the bay alter the shoals of sprats ; and the other, according 

 to Mr. Cecil Smith (' Zoologist,' 1884, p. 1 45), was obtained near Taunton on 

 29th December, 1883, We have seen the Fulmar alive off the N.W. 

 coasts of Scotland and Ireland, and off Newfoundland. It resembles a 

 Herring-Gull in its plumage, but may be readily distinguished by its 

 skimming flight, and when it approaches close its singular-shaped beak, 

 with which it can give a very vicious bite, makes it at once known. It 

 is fond of attending on the fishing-boats, coming fearlessly near to seize 

 any rejected fish which may be thrown overboard, and in particular 

 delights in blubber, and is a constant companion in the Polar regions of 

 the ships which pursue the whale and seal. 



Order PYGOPODES. 



Family COLYMBIDiE. 



THE DIVERS. 



In this family there is but one genus, containing only 

 three well-determined species, all of which occur in tiiis 

 county. They are large heavy birds, with their legs placed 

 so far behind the centre of gravity that they are quite 

 unable to walk on land, but are pre-eminently fitted for 

 diving, which they can accomplish with such rapidity as to 



