518 



Young. Resembles the old bird, but is rather browner in tinge ; and the crissum and flanks are washed with 

 brown instead of being white, as in the adult. 



Nestling. Covered entirely with long, fluffy down, dark sooty brownish grey in colour on the upper parts, 

 and greyish white on the underparts. 



This, the common Shearwater that frequents the coasts of Great Britain, is found throughout 

 the North Atlantic Ocean, not ranging into the Baltic, but is found in the Mediterranean as far 

 as the Black Sea. 



It is by no means uncommon off the coasts of Great Britain, but is much commoner on 

 the west than on the east side of our island, and breeds on many of the islands off the coast. 

 Mr. A. G. More says (Ibis, 1865, p. 458) that " it breeds in the Scilly Islands. In Lundy Island, 

 in the Bristol Channel, formerly it was abundant on the Calf of Man, where Mr. Crellin 

 considers that it was extirpated by rats. Mr. H. D. Graham finds it breeding on the islands 

 of Staffa and Treshinsh ; and there are several localities in the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and 

 Shetland. It will be observed that all these localities are situated on the west coast ; and the 

 nest seems always to be placed upon islands. I am not aware of any breeding-station on the 

 mainland, unless Berwickshire should prove to be an exception, as the Rev. T. Duns tells me 

 that he has seen it during summer off St. Abb's Head, and believes that a few pairs breed there 

 occasionally." Mr. Cecil Smith informs me that he has never seen it in the Channel Islands, 

 where, however, in all probability, it is occasionally found, nor has he any record of its occurrence 

 off the coast of Somerset ; and Mr. Mansel-Pleydell says that it is not uncommon off the Dorset 

 coast, becoming more numerous westward, and abundant at the Scilly Isles. They occur in some 

 numbers in the neighbourhood of Kimeridge, and are frequently seen to the eastward as well as 

 at Portland. It appears to be not uncommon off the east coast of England, and, according to 

 Mr. Cordeaux, is by no means unusual in autumn off Flamborough Head. According to Mr. 

 Robert Gray (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 503) " there are numerous breeding-haunts of this Shearwater 

 throughout the west of Scotland, and the bird itself may be called abundant within the circle of the 

 Inner Hebrides. Westward of that group the only breeding-localities with which I am acquainted 

 are Pabbay (one of the islands of Barra) and St. Kilda. Some years ago the lighthouse-keeper at 

 Barra Head informed me that the Shearwaters had entirely deserted the island of Bernera, on 

 which the lighthouse is built, none having been seen nesting there since 1843 ; and Mr. Elwes 

 (Ibis, 1869, p. 28) has the following remarks bearing on the same locality: — ' This bird was formerly 

 very common, and the young ones, which were called " Fachach," were so highly esteemed that 

 a barrel of them formed part of the rent paid by each crofter in Mingalay to the Macneills of 

 Barra. About a hundred years ago, however, the Puffins, which were not numerous, began to 

 increase very much, and drove the Shearwaters from the holes which they occupied in the cliffs ; 

 and now they have completely supplanted them, so that only a few pairs of Shearwaters are left 

 in the island of Pabbay, which is next to Mingalay. The Shearwater seems to be on the decrease 

 in most of its other breeding-places, though I never heard any reason assigned for the circum- 

 stance.' In the same paper Mr. Elwes remarks that on Soay, one of the St.-Kilda group, where 

 it was formerly very common, the Shearwater is now by no means plentiful — a change probably 

 arising in this case also from the increase of the Puffin. One of the most extensive breeding- 



