( 89 ) 
^he great Black Peteril. 
T his Bird is about the Bignefs of a Raven \ the Bill, from the Corner of the Mouth to 
the Point, is three Inches long *, from the Forehead to the Point but two Inches ; the 
Wing when clofed is near 15 Inches long: It is of Kin to the laft defcribed, yet I 
cannot pronounce it abfolutely of the fame Genus *, the Shape of the Bill is much the fame with 
that, but a great deal lefs in Proportion, and the Noftrils placed together on the upper Part of 
the Bill i the Legs and Feet are alfo like thofe of the laft defcribed, except that this hath a little 
Spur, or Claw, where other Fowls have the hind Toe, which Spur rifes immediately from 
the Heel. 
The Bill is! of a Yellow Colour, not very bright, but might be more lively perhaps when the 
Bird^was living *, . the Noftrils feem to be carried on in two Tubes or Pipes joined together, which 
proceed from the Forehead, and pafs about one third Part of the Length of the Bill on its upper 
Part, ‘ with two Openings forward ; the Bill is creafed or furrow’d, and pretty much hooked at 
'.the Point, all which may be better conceived from the lower Figure than from Defcription, the 
'Bill being there drawn of its natural Bignefs : It is fhaped in general pretty much like a Sea~Gull\ 
- the Wings when clofed reaching farther than the Tail ; the Plumage all over the Body is the 
fame, without the lead Variety of Shade, it being of a very rufty Black, or blackifli Brown ; the 
Legs and Feet were near of the fame Colour, or a little more inclining to Flefli, refembling the 
Colour of an Ethiopian^?, Skin : Its Claws are Black ; it hath a little Claw or Spur rifing out of 
the Heel immediately, and not by a Toe, for it hath no Sign of a back Toe •, the Figure ex- 
prefles a Claw on each Foot ; the outer Sides of all the Toes are webb’d, as in the Alhatrofs. 
This Bird was lent me to draw by Mr. Benjamin Coweh it came with the Alhatrofs by an India 
Ship, fo that I am of Opinion it is from the Seas about the Cape of Good Hope : I could not 
gather any more certain Account of its Place. In looking over a fmall Trad entitled, a Voyage 
to St. Kilda, the mod remote of all the Wedern Iflands of Scotland^ by M. Martin^ Gent. 
London 1698, I find the Figure of a Bird agreeing exadly with this in the^ Shape of its Bill, and 
the back Claw is very judly exprefled in the Wnt, tho* the Defcription calls it a back Toe ; it 
feems to be of the fame, or very near the Size of the Bird here defcribed, but of different Co- 
lours *, it being greyifh White on the upper, and purely White on the under Side : But what 
confirms me mod that thefe two Birds are of the fame Tribe or Family, is the Opinion of Dr, 
James Monroe, Fellow of the College of Phyficians, and Phyfician of Bethlem Hofpital, who, 
happening to fee my Drawing, faid he remembered a Bird m the Voyage to St. Kilda, called 
the Fulmar, that agreed with mine ; and fcld me, at the fame Time, he had feenthe Fulmar, and 
drew the Figure of it for the Plate in the Book when he was a young Lad. See the Figure and 
Defcription of the in the Voyage to St. Kilda, Pa. 55,* where the Author fays, “ he 
“ picks his Food out of the Backs of living Whales.” This Manner of Feeding may fliew us that 
Nature hath fitted every Animal according to his appointed Way of Life *, tor the hooked Bill, 
rnud be mod commodious to take out the llimy Subdance that gathers and is lodged in the 
FilF’s Skin ; and the Claw or Spur on the Heel, which is placed very low, may be defigned 
to give the Bird a more firm Standing, to feed on the flippery Side or Back of a Fifb, without 
which the Bird might be blown from her Place, becaufe there generally prevails a pretty drong 
Wind in the open Sea : But I fhall always fubmit fuch Opinions and Reafonings to the Expe- 
rience of the more knowing. I believe this Bird hath never been defcribed. 
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