186 



FURZE CHAT. 



such use to the islanders as this ; the Fulmar supplies them with oil 

 for their lamps, down for their beds, a delicacy for their tables, a balm 

 for their wounds, and a medicine for their distempers." He adds, 

 " that it is a certain prognostication of the change of wind ; if it come 

 to land no west wind is expected for some time, and the contrary when 

 it returns and keeps to sea." 



Its food is entirely fish, particularly that of the most oily nature, 

 by which means it is always charged with oil, and has the power of 

 ejecting it with force from its bill, a mode of defence peculiar to the 

 petrel genus. It is said to lay one large white egg the latter end of 

 May. A very complete skeleton of this bird has been presented to us 

 by Colonel Templer, which was given to him by a master of a New- 

 foundland trader. This bird, which seems to be known only by the 

 title of John Down by the fishermen, attends the fishing vessels on the 

 banks of Newfoundland, and feeds on the liver and offal of the cod-fish 

 that is thrown overboard. It is taken by means of a hook baited with 

 a piece of liver, and being stretched at length to a stick, it is sunk under 

 water, and in half an hour, (as the informant declared,) is completely 

 skeletonized by what the sailors call sea-lice. Some of these insects 

 were procured for us in Newfoundland, and did not turn out to be what 

 is usually denominated sea-louse, (Oniscus,) but Cancer Locusta, the 

 same in every respect as that found on our coast. 



FULVOUS. — *A colour which may be described as brownish, or 

 reddish yellow, or tawny.* 



FURZE CHAT.— A name for the Whinchat. 



