ALGERIAN CINEREOUS SHEARWATER. Ill 



either or both have been taken in Great Britain, to be 

 decided by British ornithologists. 



The Algerian Cinereous Shearwater, as its name 

 implies, is common on the north-west coast of Africa, 

 and about the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas. 



The Cinereous Shearwater is seen especially in the 

 tempest and the storm. In its habits it is crepuscular, 

 feeding during the twilight or early sunrise, and keeping 

 out of sight during the day. It feeds principally on 

 fishes, worms, molluscs, and crustaceans, which it finds 

 tossed about by the waves on the surface of the ocean. 



It builds among the rocks, laying, like the rest of 

 its family, but a single white egg. 



The male and female have the head, nape, and 

 scapularies greyish brown, the most inferior of the 

 latter, like the rest of the back, wings, and tail, dark 

 browm; upper tail coverts light brown, edged with 

 finely-spotted white. Primaries black, with the broad 

 part of the inner web white, shaded off to light 

 brown. Cheeks and sides of the neck and chest finely- 

 mottled grey; throat, crop, abdomen, and under wing 

 and tail coverts pure white. Beak yellowish, with the 

 point and hook dark brown. Feet and legs livid 

 yellow; iris brown. 



My figure is taken from an Algerian specimen sent 

 to me by Mr. Tristram. 



