428 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



white beneath. Generally seen in scattered flocks or small parties 

 within touch of the islands on which they breed, and generally 

 resting on the water. When disturbed fly away for some little 

 distance with wings beating rapidly — impression given being one 

 of great haste but little speed. Flight low and in calm waters near 

 land as described above, but in rougher weather flight gliding as in 

 all Shearwaters but wings beaten much more often than in large 

 Shearwaters ; four or five beats and then a short glide and so on. 

 Surface feeder, does not dive. (P. R. Lowe.) 



Breeding -habits. — Breeds in holes in ground and also under 

 boulders. Nest. — Occasionally a little dry grass. Egg. — One only, 

 white, without gloss. Average of 37 eggs 50.2x34.6. Max. : 

 54.2x35.5 and 50.5x37.5. Min. : 45x34 and 51x32.5 mm. 

 Breeding -season. — Usually late Jan. or Feb. to April in Madeira 

 group : probably rather later on Salvages. Incubation. — Period 

 not ascertained. 



Food. — No definite records. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Eight. One caught on board ship 

 off Bull Pock (Cork) May 6, 1853 {Birds Ireland, p. 395). Male 

 found dead near Bungay (Suffolk) about April 10, 1858 (Saunders, 

 p. 743). Female picked up near Bexhill (Sussex), Dec. 28, 1900 

 (W. P. Butterfield, Bull. B.O.C., xi, p. 45). Male caught near Lydd 

 (Kent), Nov. 27, 1905 (N. F. Ticehurst, op. c, xvi, p. 38 ; cf. Brit. B., 

 n, p. 373). Female picked up dead St. Leonards (Sussex), Oct. 27, 

 1911 (H. W. Ford-Lindsay, op. c, v, p. 253). Male picked up dead 

 Pevensey Sluice (Sussex), Nov. 15, 1911 (H. F. Witherby, I.e.). 

 Male picked up exhausted Welling (Kent), Aug. 20, 1912 (R. 

 Lydekker, Country Life, Jan. 18, 1913 ; cf. Brit. B., vi, p. 314). 

 Female shot near Lydd (Kent), Dec. 27, 1913 (J. B. Nichols, op. c, 

 ix, p. 212). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Islands in eastern parts of northern 

 half of Atlantic Ocean : Canaries, Salvages, Madeira, and neigh- 

 bouring islands, probably Azores. Replaced by other subspecies 

 Cape Verde Is. and in western part of north Atlantic (east coast of 

 United States, Bahamas, Bermudas), on Mascarene Islands (Sey- 

 chelles, Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar), in Australian and New 

 Zealand seas, on Galapagos Islands. 



340. Puffinus assimilis boydi Math.— THE CAPE VERDE LITTLE 

 SHEARWATER. 



Puffinus lherminieej boydi Mathews, B. Australia, n, p. 70 (1912 — ■ 



Cape Verde Islands). 



Puffinus assimilis boydi J. B. Nichols, Brit. B., ix, p. 201. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — ■ 

 Like P. a. baroli but under tail-coverts mostly black instead of 

 mostly white, inner webs of lateral feathers usually white, but 

 varying, otherwise all under tail-coverts black many with narrow 



