407 
THE GREATER SHEARWATER. 
Puffinus major , Eaber. 
Is occasionaRy seen upon the coast. 
Our information on this species as Irish is chiefly due to Mr. 
Robert Davis, of Clonmel, who kindly furnished me with the par- 
ticulars of two examples which he procured in different years, 
notices of which were published in the Proceedings of the Zoological 
Society of London in 1837, p. 54, and • Annals of Natural His- 
tory* in 1842 (vol. ix. p. 433). When the first Irish bird was 
announced, one individual only had been positively recorded as 
British, but since that period Mr. Yarrell has brought together a 
good deal of information on the species, the best of which was 
supplied by Mr. D. W. Mitchell. This gentleman mentions the 
occurrence of P. major as not unfrequent on the Cornish coast, 
and that it is well known to the inhabitants of the Scilly Islands. 
The observations of my correspondent at Clonmel may still be 
given in full, more especially as he only, so far as known to me, 
has attended to the habits of the bird in captivity. Mr. Davis 
remarked of the first specimen : — “ This was taken in August 1835 
hear Dungarvan, county of Waterford, and sent to me alive. It 
was apparently in good health, but would not eat anything, and 
died after having been in my possession for about ten days or a 
fortnight. It had an extremely rank, fishy, or oily smell at all 
times, but I never saw any appearance of oil being discharged 
from its mouth or nostrils. It seemed unable to walk, but 
scrambled along with its breast about an inch from the ground. 
Although its wings were perfect and uninjured, it made no at- 
tempt to fly, but if let fall from a height dropped heavily to the 
ground. It showed an inclination to climb, having several times 
mounted up the handle of a long spade that rested against the 
wall of the yard in which it was kept. It did not ramble about, 
nor care much for water, but when put in a large tub, very dex- 
