THE COMMON FULMAR. 
. 90 
be killed, and allowed to float about among them, they appear unconscious 
of danger to themselves. 
“ The Fulmar never dives, but when incited to it by the appearance of a 
morsel of fat under water. When in close view of any men, it keeps a 
continual watch both on the men and its prey ; having its feet continually 
in motion, and yet perhaps not moving at all through the water. Its bold- 
ness increases with the numbers of its species that surround it. It is a very 
hardy bird. Its feathers being thick it is not easily killed with a blow. Its 
bite, from the crookedness, strength, and sharpness of its bill, is very severe. 
“ When carrion is scarce, the Fulmars follow the living whale ; and 
sometimes, by their peculiar motions, when hovering at the surface of the 
water, point out to the fisher the position of the animal of which he is in 
pursuit. They cannot make much impression on the dead whale, until 
some more powerful animal tears away the skin ; the epidermis and rete 
mucosum they entirely remove, but the true skin is too tough for them to 
make way through it.” 
Procellaria glacialis, Bonap. Syn., p. 369. 
Fulmar Petrel, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 330. 
Fulmar Petrel, Procellaria glacialis , Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 446. 
Male, 8, 18. 
Not uncommon off the coast, from New York to Nova Scotia. Abundant 
on the banks of Newfoundland. Breeds in high latitudes. 
Adult Male in summer. 
Bill shorter than the head, robust, straight, slightly compressed, the tip 
curved. Upper mandible with the nostrils on the ridge, separated only by 
a thin partition, covered by an elevated horny case, and opening directly 
forwards, the sides convex, and separated by a groove from the nasal plate, 
as well as from the unguis, which is remarkably strong, curved and acute, 
the edges sharp, inflected, and slightly curved. Lower mandible with the 
angle long, rather wide, acute, the sides erect but convex, the edges sharp 
and inflected, the very short dorsal line ascending and slightly concave, the 
edges decurved at the end. 
Head rather large, ovate. Neck rather short. Body full. Feet of mode- 
. rate length, stout tibia bare for a short space below ; tarsus a little com- 
pressed, rather sharp before, covered all round with reticular scales, of which 
those on the anterior and posterior ridges are much smaller. Hind toe a 
slight prominence, with a conical obtuse claw ; the fore toes long, slender, 
scutellate above, connected by striated entire webs, the fourth a little longer 
than the third, the second not much shorter. Claws rather small, arched, 
compressed, rather acute, that of the third toe with an inner thin edge. 
