158 
KATURAL HISTORY, 
The voice of this bird is harfli and diflb' 
nant ; fome compare it to the braying of an 
afs, -while others fay it refembles the voice 
of a man grievoufly complaining. David 
compares his groaning to the pelican of the 
wildernefs, and the owl of the defert. 
It lives fixty or feventy years. 
The F U L M A R. 
HIS bird is found in the ifland of St. Kil- 
da, where it fupplies the inhabitants with 
oil for their lamps, down for their beds, a 
balfam for their wounds, a delicacy for their 
tables, and a medicine for their difeafes. It 
likewife denotes a change of wind. 
This bird is larger than the Common gull; 
the bill is very ftrong, yellow, and hooked 
at the end. Inftead of a black toe, it has a 
kind of fta'aight fpan. It feeds on the blub- 
ber of fat whales, and on forrel. It will 
leap and prey on a newly caught whale, even 
while alive ; and is fo voracious, as to eat 
until it is obliged, through repletion, to dif- 
gorge its food. 
Whales ai'c frequently difeovered by 
means of thefe birds, which colleft together 
in vaft numbers, and follow them, in hopes 
of prey, as fliai-ks follow fliips that Iiave dif- 
cafe on board, with the fame expedlation. 
The blubbei' on which they feed is w'hat fur- 
nillie-s 
