514 



and Mr. Howard Saunders informs me that it is common off the south coast of Spain, and he 

 has received it from Malaga. Mr. A. von Homeyer says that he observed it near the Chateau 

 d'lf, near Marseilles, in the Gulf of Lyons, on the coasts of Catalonia, especially numerous off 

 the harbour of Barcelona, and on the coasts of the Balearic Isles, and more particularly on El 

 Layre, close to Minorca. Off the coasts of Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia, as well as all the islands 

 of the Mediterranean, the present species is common, and breeds in suitable localities. Salvadori 

 speaks of it as being numerous between Sardinia and Corsica, and adds that it breeds on the 

 rocky islands close to the coast. Lord Lilford, in his notes on a cruise in the Mediterranean, 

 writes (Ibis, 1875, p. 27), when anchored in the Bay of Teulada, close to the Isola Rossa, 

 " during the night I heard strange moaning sounds from the rocky end of the island, which, I 

 was inclined to think, proceeded from seals ; but I afterwards found that they were caused by the 

 conversation of Shearwaters (Piiffinus cinereus), of which birds we had seen many as we came 

 round from Cagliari, but none in the immediate vicinity of the island." According to Mr. C. A. 

 Wright (Ibis, 1864, p. 153), this Shearwater " is sedentary, and breeds on the southern coast of 

 Malta and Gozo, and on the islet of Filfla, as also on the small island of Comino. I have 

 frequently visited Filfla in June and July, and taken the eggs, as well as the young and old 

 birds." It is more rarely seen up the Adriatic; but Lord Lilford states (Ibis, 1860, p. 357) 

 that it is occasionally seen in the channel of Corfu, but is more common further to the north 

 on the coasts of Albania and Dalmatia ; and Dr. Kriiper writes that this Shearwater is tolerably 

 numerous off the coasts of Greece, especially where its breeding-haunts are. In 1862 he dis- 

 covered its breeding-places, and gave a notice respecting them in the Journal fur Ornithologie 

 (1863, p. 335). On the uninhabited islands of the Cyclades group this bird deposits its single 

 egg in a deep hole in the ground or under stones. Although in 1862 he found the first eggs 

 on the 31st May, yet the usual time when its eggs are laid is early in June, and late in July the 

 young birds are still small and in down-plumage, and early in October they had not left their 

 nest-holes. During the daytime these birds are quite quiet, and are neither seen nor heard, but 

 are very lively at night, and fly hither and thither, uttering loud cries in various tones. 



According to Colonel Drummond-Hay it is resident on the Ionian Islands ; Dr. Kriiper met 

 with it singly on the coast of Crete in June ; and Mr. Robson records it as found in the Bosphorus, 

 and breeding on the islands of the Sea of Marmora. It is also met with off the coasts of Asia 

 Minor, and occurs singly, Dr. Kriiper writes, in the Bay of Salonica. Von Heuglin states that 

 one was cast ashore off Alexandria; and it is met with all along the North- African coast. 

 According to Mr. F. DuCane Godman (Ibis, 1872, p. 223) this species is found in all the 

 archipelagos of the Canaries and Madeira, and must undoubtedly breed in the Desertas or other 

 neighbouring islands, as he saw them there in considerable numbers in the month of June. I 

 do not, however, find any record of its occurrence further south, except that Dr. von Tschudi 

 says (J. f. 0. 1856, p. 151) that he met with it several degrees north and south of the equator. 



In habits the present species does not differ much from its smaller ally, the Manx Shear- 

 water ; and, like that bird, it breeds in holes in the ground and clefts of the cliffs. During the 

 daytime this Shearwater is seldom seen, but flies about more by night, keeping concealed in 

 its nest-hole during the day. I am indebted to Captain H. W. Feilden, naturalist on the last 

 Arctic expedition, for the following notes respecting the present species, which he met with 



