434 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Field -characters. — Appearing about same size as P. gravis, 

 brown above, white beneath. Bill yellow. Differs from P. gravis in 

 not having distinctly capped appearance, grey -brown of crown and 

 hind-neck gradually merging into a vermiculated pattern which 

 extends from bill backwards along sides of neck and upper -breast. 

 Flight rapid, planing, swooping, rising and falling. With wings 

 extended and rigid it follows contours of the ocean waves for long 

 intervals without apparent effort or motion of wings. Often seen 

 in flocks rising and failing against the horizon. A surface feeder. 

 Sits on water often in nocks. D. Banner man states that at breeding 

 site note is a long drawn-out wailing, often replied to by a purring 

 sound. (P. R. Lowe.) 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds in vast numbers in crevices of cliffs, 

 among boulders on islands, in interior of caves, sometimes 20 yards 

 or more from entrance, and occasionally in burrows in hard or sandy 

 soil. Nest. — Merely a few feathers or bits of seaweed. Egg. — One 

 only, white, without gloss. Average of 70 eggs, 75.3x50. Max. : 

 82.5 X 51 and 75 X 53. In. : 68.6 X 46.8 and 73.5 X 45 mm. Breed- 

 ing-season. — Begins late in May, but laying general at beginning of 

 June in Canary group. Incubation. — Shared by sexes. Period 

 not ascertained. Single brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly Cephalopoda (cuttle-fish), but definite records 

 lacking. 



Distribution. — England. — One. Male picked up West St. 

 Leonards (Sussex), March 14th, 1914 (ut supra). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Nesting Azores, islands of Madeira 

 group, Salvages, Canary Islands and (probably this form) Berlenga 

 Is. off coast of Portugal. Is not rare in autumn (Aug.-Nov.) on 

 coasts of Massachusetts, Rhode and Long Islands in North America, 



PUFFINUS GRISEUS 



344. Puffinus griseus (Gm.)— THE SOOTY SHEARWATER. 



Pro cell aria grisea Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, ii, p. 564 (1789 — Southern 



Hemisphere). 



Puffinus griseus (Gmelin), Yarrell, iv, p. 17 ; Saunders, p. 739. 



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

 Whole upper-parts sooty black-brown, feathers fringed slightly 

 paler and more greyish -brown, more obvious in worn plumage 

 (fairly often sprinkling of greyish-white filoplumes on nape and sides 

 of neck) ; lores varying with or without hoary tinge ; whole under- 

 pays grey-brown varying in shade and often with more or less 

 grey-slate tinge, feathers more or less greyish-white at extreme tip 

 (varying) and paler greyish bases of feathers showing, chin paler 

 than rest of under-parts and bases of feathers whitish ; axillaries 

 as rest of under-parts ; under wing-coverts greyish-white with 

 black-brown shaft -streaks and varying amount of black-brown 



