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violence — in a manner quite different from that of a Gull— and 
then dives, pursuing its prey under water with great rapidity, 
and often tearing bait from the fishermen’s hooks. IVhen 
crossing the Atlantic, I have often seen them skimming the 
surface of the water without any apparent effort, alternately 
poised on either wing, but at times they flap their pinions 
freely.” 
Seebohm, who also observed the species during his voyages 
to America, has left us the following account of its habits 
“ In crossing the Atlantic in autumn the Great Shearwater is 
much more local than either the Fulmar or Wilson’s Petrel. I 
liave occasionally seen them approach very near the ship, but 
they never seemed to take any notice of it, nor did they follow 
the ship’s wake or stoop to pick up anything that might be thrown 
out to attract them. Sometimes half-a-dozen may be seen 
together, but more often they are in pairs. Compared with the 
Fulmars they look veiy black, but as they turn so that the sun 
shines upon them, they look brown against the blue waves. 
Their under parts look almost white ; but as they skim up from 
the waves, the brown edges of the under wing-coverts can 
easily be seen. The white on the upper tail-coverts is con- 
spicuous during flight, and the neck is shortened so as to 
produce the appearance of a white stre.ak behind the ear- 
coverts. It is impossible to ascertain during flight whether the 
under tail-coverts be white or not, as they are always covered 
by the outstretched feet. The Great Shearwater has even 
greater power on the wing than the Fulmar; he flies with the 
wings more bent, and seems to follow the surface of the waves 
still closer; he really does ‘shear the water,’ only now and 
then rising with a swallow like flight above the horizon. He 
skims along the surlace of the Atlantic billows with almost 
motionless wings, turning suddenly to avoid a breaker, or to 
follow some object floating on the water which has caught his 
eye, and which he sometimes snatches up without apparently 
lessening his speed. Wind or rain do not appear to incom- 
mode him in the least ; he never seems tired. He is very 
rarely seen to alight on the surface of the water ; he sometimes 
remains in sight for an hour together, but more often he 
passes on, and frequently not a Shearwater is visible during 
the whole day.” 
