MU. 0. SMITH OX Tilt; TULMAU I’ETUEL. 
IX. 
NOTES ON THE FULMAR FETREL 
{FULMARUS (ILACIALIS) IN CONFINEMENT. 
Rv O. SMlTFt. 
Read i^rd February, 1886 . 
JIetween October, 1878, and December, 1885, 1 have liad the 
pleasure of noting down in my diary lifteen specimens of llie 
Fulmar Petrel, all obtained at or off Yarmouth. The greater part 
of them were adult, although not all fully adult. !Most •were of 
the light-coloured race, but two of the number (which I liad 
brought mo alive) were the dark form, and these were rather smaller 
than the light ones {cf. Yarrell’s ‘British Birds,’ vol. iv. p. 5). 
The lirst I had alive was on December 18th, 1879. This I 
juanaged, by dint of great care, to keep for a fortnight, feeding it 
with beef fat and cod’s liver. It ejected amber-coloured oil on 
several occasions when disturbed or handled. It was very much 
cramped in its legs when brought to me, and could not stand 
properly, and it died on the 3rd of January. 
Last autumn I heurd of two captured by the fishermen, but one 
unfortunately died before it reached our harbour. The fellow 
to it I received on the 31st October, and I succeeded in keeping 
this bird alive^for ten weeks. The food on which I fed it consisted 
of beef fat, fresh white herrings cut into small pieces, and sprats, 
also four small whitings, of which it ate two each day. The 
average amount taken per diem Avas about seven sprats. "When 
these were not to be had, fat and pieces of herring answered 
the purpose. I and my boys had the pleasure of cramming it 
daily; and well do we I'emember the operation, for the peculiar 
scent of the bird was retained on our hands long afterwards. 
