15 
“At anchor it was seen that the high, precipitous cliffs (300 feet esti- 
mated) were rookeries, and all the time we remained there — about six 
hours — there were thousands of the birds circling and winging here and 
there everywhere across the face of these cliffs. At one spot in particular 
they were alighting thickly high above the water. They were evidently 
taking possession of nesting sites for the breeding season.” 
Of all these thousands, only uniformly dark birds seemed represented 
and only two white individuals in the throng were noted — these in the 
morning far from the rookery. 
As we left the anchorage three boats of natives came out and began a 
merry bombardment of the birds winging over the bay. None was seen 
to fall. This accounted for the wariness of this bird — and others — from 
the Komandorskis westward. 
On the night of this same date a female came aboard and was secured. 
In this case “the beak was very uniformly pale bluish grey with black lines 
at the creases — quite different from the beak of the male taken near the 
Bogoslofs. This female showed in the wings a variegated feathering; the 
new feathers were many shades darker than the old and worn. The webs, 
toes, and tarsus were one colour, pale bluish grey. The stomach was 
empty. Ovary not greatly enlarged.” 
The purpose of the curved toe-nails of the fulmar is plain when the 
bird’s nest site is examined. 
Along the Kamchatkan coast from Oest southward, April 26 to May 6, 
a few birds were seen almost daily whenever the Thiepval was far enough 
from land. On April 27, near Petropavlovsk, though nearly all seen during 
the day were whitish, yet the female that was captured aboard at night 
was a dark phase bird, with the bill different in colour from either of the 
other two specimens. 
In the spring the Pacific Fulmar was last met off Yetorup island, 
May 6, but on the return it appeared slightly farther south, off the north 
end of Hokkaido island, July 11. From this date it was seen in small 
numbers daily at sea along the entire route homeward. On the American 
side the bird took to following the ship and feeding on the refuse, just as 
the Black-footed Albatrosses did; and they both quit at about the same 
time, near Prince Rupert, the fulmar deserting on August 12, three days 
before the other. 
On the return trip very few light-phase birds were noted, though on 
the last day that fulmars were seen, one of whitish feather came close to 
the ship in the company of a dozen that followed nearly all that day. Only 
one specimen was taken during the return — a thin, strong-smelling female 
captured at night about 100 miles west of the Bogoslofs, August 7. 
6 30 miles west of Unalaska, Alaska. March 30 
9 Copper island. Commander island. April 24 
9 Bogoslof island. Bering sea. August 7 
AH in characteristic dark phase. 
Fulmarus rodgersi Cassin. Rodgers’s Fulmar 
There was no opportunity to collect fulmars of this type. Very light- 
coloured birds — in some cases actually appearing white — were noted as 
follows: one off south side Unimak pass, Alaska, March 25; two on the 
outskirts of the throngs at Copper Island rookery, April 24; a few near 
Petropavlovsk, April 27; one in southern Kurils, July 11; two near Petro- 
4943—21 
