520 



speaks of it as being common in the Straits of Gibraltar in autumn, occasionally coming close 

 in to the land in the Bay of Gibraltar. It appears to be found commonly throughout the 

 Mediterranean, and as far as the Black Sea. On the coasts of Italy, Sardinia, and Sicily it is 

 generally distributed, especially in the neighbourhood of rocky islands, but rarely approaches 

 land, except at its breeding-haunts. Mr. C. A. Wright says (Ibis, 1864, p. 153), both this bird 

 and Puffinus Jcuhli are " sedentary, and breed 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. They lay a single egg of 

 a pure white, rather large, and deposit it on the bare ground, in a crevice or under a fragment 

 of rock. That of Puffinus anglorum is rather smaller and more elliptical than the other. Like 

 many other sea-birds they allow themselves to be taken whilst sitting, without making any 

 attempt to escape, merely snapping at the intruder's fingers with their strong sharp bill. Both 

 young and old birds, when handled, are apt to eject, in a very disagreeable manner, a greenish 

 fluid, formed by their feeding on the Inula crithmoides, one of the few plants that grow on that 

 desolate rock. The fishermen use the flesh of these birds to bait their wicker pots." According to 

 Dr. Kriiper, it is common off the coasts of Greece, but everywhere less numerous than Puffinus Jcuhli. 

 Dr.Kriiper,as well as many other authors who have written on the ornithology of the Mediterranean, 

 confuses the present species with the small Shearwater, which is commonly known by the name of 

 Puffinus obscurus, from which, I need scarcely say, it is perfectly distinct. Mr. G. C. Taylor says 

 (Ibis, 1872, p. 236) that "no one can be long on the Bosphorus or Dardanelles without seeing 

 these birds. They are always passing up and down, flying close to the surface of the water. Only 

 twice during more than a year's residence in Turkey did I see them resting on the water. Once 

 I saw a flock settled, and swimming about near the Leander Tower opposite Scutari ; and again 

 I saw a very large flock settled on the sea, which at the time was very calm, when passing 

 through the Greek archipelago. There is no difficulty in obtaining specimens. One day in 

 July I was staying at Therapia, and wanted some ; so I took a caique, and went so as to intercept 

 their line of flight. They came in rapidly succeeding flocks, passing close to the boat. Out of 

 two flocks I got five birds — quite as many as I wanted. On being lifted they vomited a clear oil ; 

 this seems to be the experience of every one. I was told they breed on the Cyanean rocks (the 

 Symplegades) at the Black-Sea entrance to the Bosphorus." It occurs off the coast of Palestine ; 

 Canon Tristram states that he picked one up dead under Mount Carmel; and Von Heuglin 

 says that he has frequently seen it on the sea off the coasts of Asia Minor, Syria, and North 

 Africa. Hedenborg obtained it in Egypt ; and there is a specimen in the British Museum from 

 there. It is stated to occur off the coast of Algeria ; and Favier says that it is found off Tangier 

 from August to November, and specimens are occasionally picked up dead on the sea-shore. It 

 occurs off Madeira and the Canaries ; and Berthelot says that it breeds on the small island of 

 Alegranza in clefts and holes in the cliffs. Mr. Godman states that it most undoubtedly nests in 

 the Desertas or other neighbouring islands, as he saw them there in considerable numbers in 

 June ; and it occurs, he adds, in the Azorean seas, but is not so numerous as the Great 

 Shearwater. 



On the American coast it is found from Labrador down to New Jersey; and Mr. G. A. 

 Boardman informs me that it is common on the fishing-grounds off the Bay of Fundy. Mr. Savile 



