FULMAR. 



185 



FRINGILLA (Illiger.) — * Finch, a genus thus characterised. 

 Bill straight and perfectly conical, short, hard, and sharp at the point ; 

 the ridge of the upper mandible rounded, and frequently advancing in 

 an angle upon the forehead, the cutting edges of the under mandible 

 bending a little inwards. Nostrils situated behind the horny bulging 

 base of the bill, round, and hidden by the small frontal feathers. 

 Wings short, having the third or fourth quill feather the longest. 

 Legs with the shank as short as, or shorter than, the middle toe, and 

 with the toes divided.* 



FRINGILLID^E (Vigors.)— * Finches, a family of Perchers. (In- 

 sessores, Vigors.) 



FULICA (Brisson.) — * Coot, a genus thus characterised. Bill of 

 middle size, strong, conical, straight, compressed, higher than broad 

 at the base ; ridge advancing upon the forehead, and expanding into a 

 naked plate ; points of both mandibles compressed and of equal length, 

 the upper slightly curved, and widened at the base. Nostrils at the 

 side, in the middle of the bill, slit lengthwise, half closed by a membrane 

 which covers the widening, pierced from part to part. Legs long, 

 slender, naked above the knee ; three toes before and one behind ; 

 all the toes very long, and re-united at their base, and furnished on the 

 sides with a scolloped membrane. Wings of middle size, the first quill 

 shorter than the second and third, which are the longest in the wing.* 



FULMAR (Procellaria glacialis, Linnaeus.) 



Procellaria glacialis, Gmel. Syst. 2. p. 562.— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 823. sp. 9.— 

 Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. 802. — Flem, Br. Anim. p. 135. — Procellaria cinerea, 

 Briss. 6. p. 143. 2. t. 12. f. 2.— Ib. 8vo. 2. p. 399.— Fulmar, on Petrel-puffin 



grisblanc, Buff'. Ois. 9. p. 325. t. 22 Wagellus Cornubiensium Mallemucke, 



Raii, Syn. p. 130. A. 13.— Haffhert, seu Equus marius, Will. p. 306.— Ib. 



(Angl.)p. 395 Fulmar Petrel, Br. Zool. 2. No. 257.— Ib. fob 145. t. M.2.— 



Arct. Zool. 2. No. 461.— Lath. Syn. 6. p. 403. S.—Lewin's Br. Birds, 6. t. 217. 

 Wale. Syn. 2. t. 89. 



This species of petrel is about the size of the common gull. The 

 bill is yellow, very strong, and much hooked at the end : the nostrils 

 are placed in a convex sheath ; the head, neck, tail, and whole under 

 side of the body white ; the back and coverts of the wings ash-coloiir ; 

 quill-feathers dusky ; the legs yellowish ; back-toe wanting, instead of 

 which is a sort of spur. The Fulmar is not frequently seen on our 

 southern coasts : we never remember but one instance, and that was in 

 South Wales. 



It is not uncommon in some of the islands off the north of Scotland. 

 At St. Kilda it breeds, and supplies the inhabitants with a vast quantity 

 of oil, which is used for culinary as well as medical purposes. Speak- 

 ing of those which breed on that island, Pennant says, " no bird is of 



