PUFFINUS MAJOR, Fabr. 
Great Shearwater. 
Ptiffinm major, Faber, Prod, der island. Orn., p. 56. 
arcticus, Macgill. Man. of Nat. Hist. Orn., vol. ii. p. 262. 
Cymotomus arcticus, Macgill. Man. of Nat. Hist. Orn., vol. ii. p. 13. 
Puffinus fuUginosus, A. Strickl. Proc. of Comm, of Sci. and Corr. of Zool. Soc., part ii. 1832, p. 129 ? 
Procellaria fuliginosa, Jenyns, Man. of Brit. Vert. Anim., p. 285 } 
major (part.), Temm. Man. d’Oni. 2nd edit., tom. iv. p. 509. 
Ardenna major, Reich. Syst. Av., tab. xiv. fig. 770. 
Leaving the American monographist of the Procellarldae, Mr. Elliott Cones, and others to determine among 
themselves the true synonymy of this species, I shall very briefly state where the bird most frequently 
occurs in onr islands, where it is most nnmerons, and add a few remarks respecting the dark-colonred 
individuals which are sometimes met with. Although it is probable that it never breeds within the 
limits of Britain, or, if so, only in the southernmost of the Scilly Islands, it certainly occurs in great 
numbers along the shores of Devonshire and Cornwall, the fishermen who pnrsne their calling off the 
coasts of those connties freqnently bringing in living or dead examples which have become entangled in 
their nets or canght by the baited hooks intended for the captnre of fish. On other parts of onr coasts 
and on those of Ireland its occnrrence is only accidental. The seas which wash the base of the dreary 
Eddystone, the Lizard, and the rocky promontory of the Land’s End, those surrounding the Scilly Islands, 
the Bay of Biscay, the Mediterranean, and the seas around Madeira constitnte the trne home of the species ; 
beyond this, or on the other side of the eqnator, its existence, in my opinion, is very donbtfnl ; and its 
occurrence in the arctic circle, which has been affirmed, is, I believe, equally dubious. That birds of this 
form and having a very general resemblance to tbe one here figured are to be found in other countries besides 
those mentioned I do not deny ; but I think that on examination they will be found to be referable to other 
species. As regards the colouring of this large Petrel, I may remark that out of fifty or eighty specimens 
which have come under my notice, not more than three or four have been of a fuliginous or chocolate hue 
similar to one of the two figured in my ‘ Birds of Europe.’ Now, as these dark-coloured individuals are usually 
in company with others of a lighter plumage like the one here represented, and moreover are of the same size, 
I am inclined to believe them to be merely melanic varieties ; in which opinion I am strengthened by being 
aware that dark-tinted examples occur not only in this extensive family, but also in other allied groups of 
birds — for instance, in some of the members of the genus Stercorarius, more particularly in S. parasiticus av\A 
S, pomatorhinus. I have been sadly puzzled when a specimen of the latter species, sooty-black to a feather, 
has come under my notice. We cannot for a moment consider such birds distinct ; it is likely, therefore, 
that I am right in regarding tbe dark-coloured examples of the Great Shearwater as mere varieties. 
To show how abundant the bird is off the Devonshire coast, I may here insert a few extracts from notes on 
the subject kindly communicated to me by Mr. Gatcombe. In November I860 be says : — “ A friend of mine 
has four specimens of the Great Shearwater, two of which have the whole of the plumage greyish brown, 
and two with white breasts, all taken at the same time by fisbermen off Plymouth Sound and brought in 
alive. A few years since large flocks made their appearance off Plymouth in both the dark and light 
states of plumage, when this bird and many others were caught with baited hooks ; indeed almost evei*y 
autumn large numbers of these birds may be seen off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall. Many of the 
Manx Shearwaters are occasionally obtained, and I remember being told that one year Torbay literally 
swarmed with them ; but I think that on the Avhole the Greater Shearwater is the commonest species on 
our coasts. I suspect there can be little doubt that the dark-coloured examples are merely the young of the 
year, as birds Avitb dark and others with white breasts are found together In the same flock ; ” in which 
opinion I do not coincide, although the young of the year are clouded of a darker hue than the adults. 
In another note, dated October 8th, 1865, he says, “Yesterday several specimens of the Greater Shearwater 
were brought in alive by some fisbermen, who took them with a line and bait near the Eddystone. Large 
flocks occasionally occur in the Channel during the autumn ; and this appears to be the case now; for the 
fishermen told me that fifty or sixty were flying close to the boat at tbe same time.” 
Mr. Rodd, who has also favoured me with some notes on the occurrence of the bird off tbe Cornish coasts, 
says, “ All the specimens obtained have been procured in tbe autumn, and they have all appeared in the 
same kind of plumage : the caps of some specimens have been darker than others ; but none have come 
under my notice of a chocolate-colonr or approaching to that tint in the more subdued tone of broccoli-brown. 
