MANX SHEARWATER. 
255 
The Manx Shearwater, Puffinus Anglohum. 
— Procellaria puffinus , Briss., Lath. — Puffinus 
Anglorum , Will., Ray, Selby, <$v. — Manx Petrel, 
or Shearwater of British authors This species ap- 
pears to have been at one period much more abun- 
dant than it is now, its habits leading it apparently 
to shun the habitations of man ; and it has thus 
banished itself from some of the stations which 
were formerly occupied by it. These, like the 
breeding-places of most of the sea fowls, are taken 
up by colonies, which, although numerous at their 
different resorts, are often far removed from each 
other, and are selected in places where some 
peculiarity pleases the birds, but which renders 
their distribution extremely local. Formerly, the 
small precipitous island, separated by a narrow 
channel from the mainland of Man, and called the 
“ Calf,” was the best known station, probably then 
the only known one, and gave the bird its title ; 
but becoming more frequented, and a light-house 
being erected, the birds disappeared entirely, and 
on a visit which we made to this interesting island, 
wo were much disappointed in scarcely being able 
to trace even the recollection of their former abun- 
dance. We are not aware of this Shearwater 
having been seen in the Solway, or about its en- 
trance, for many years. On the Calf of Man the 
birds bred in burrows, but at tb» time of our visit, 
there was little cover on the island except whin, 
and in some places long heath- To the northward 
