302 
L\mD.¥. 
THE FULMAE PETEEL. 
Procdlaria glacialis, 
MALLLMOKE. 
It can very seldom happen to an ornithologist that he has 
any opportunity whatever for studying the habits of this 
species, for the reason that the bird scarcely ever comes to the 
land ; that is to say, of course, to British soil. It never breeds 
in Shetland, and one who would make acquaintance with it 
in a living state must be content to go out with the boats 
many miles off-shore, to the “ haaf,” or deep-sea fishing with 
the long lines. There it is plentiful enough in the early 
summer, usually appearing first about the end of j\Iay, occa- 
sionally a week or so later, and continuing to be abundant until 
the end of June or the early part of July. 
The Fulmar is a bird which shows so many peculiarities as 
to render the fishermen not a little superstitious with regard 
to it ; indeed, they do not at all like to molest it, for fear of 
ill-luck ensuing, a Shetland fishermaii’s superstitions, from the 
moment of his leaving his cottage door for the haaf until he 
sets foot on dry land on his return, being something almost 
incredible to the ordinary English mind. Other birds sur- 
rounding the boats at sea one and all ajipear rather afraid of 
it ; not that it would seem very formidable, its bulk scarcely 
exceeding that of a Common Gull, and its ways of getting a 
living being sufficiently unobjectionable. At any rate, other 
birds avoid it as a rule. It can certainly take care of itselfi 
and when interfered with while sitting upon the water, it 
draws back the head, ruffles the feathers, droops the wings, and 
opens the bill threateningly. When caught it bites very hard. 
It is seldom met with at a less distance than fifteen or 
twenty miles from the land, — the open boats constantly go 
out thirty miles or so, fearful as is the risk, — and it regularly 
approaches the boats from the north or nortli-east, and retires 
toward the quarter whence it came, being always the most 
