26 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
i 
none, on the ground or in a burrow. Petrels are silent birds, as a rule, contrasting 
with gulls and terns in this particular. Many or most are gregarious, congregating 
by thousands at their breeding places or where food is plenty.”— Coues ’ Key N. A. 
Birds. 
Genus PUFFINUS Brisson. 
Puffinus major Faber. 
Greater Shearwater. 
Description. 
“ Adult. —Head above cheeks, occiput, a narrow line on the nape and upper part of 
back brownish-ash, paler on the hind neck ; feathers of the back with lighter margins , 
lower part of back dark-brown; upper tail coverts of same color, terminating 
broadly with grayish-white ; primaries and tail brownish-black, the former white 
on the basal part of the inner webs; secondaries and tertiaries dark brown, the sec¬ 
ondaries white on their inner webs nearly to the end; wing coverts ashy-brown, 
with lighter margins; under plumage pure white, the neck nearly encircled with 
white; sides of the neck, anterior to the bend of the wings, marked with waving 
lines of pale ash ; lower tail coverts dark ash, with light-gray edgings; bill yellowish- 
green, the tip brownish-black; iris brown ; tarsi and feet livid yellow. Length 
about 20 inches ; ” (extent about 45 inches.)— Baird's Birds of N. A. 
Habitat. —Atlantic Ocean ; south to Cape Horn and Cape of Good Hope. 
A single bird of this species—the only one, so far as I have been able 
to learn, that has been taken within our borders—is recorded by the 
late Dr. Ezra Michener as an accidental visitor in Chester county. I 
have never seen the Shearwater in its natural state, hence cannot give, 
from my own observations, anything concerning it. “Audubon men¬ 
tions finding this species ranging from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to that 
of Mexico; but he very rarely met with it near the coast. In sailing to 
Labrador, when off the coast of Nova Scotia, one evening in June, about 
sunset, he observed a great number flying from the rocky shore, and 
believed they were breeding there. In this belief he was confirmed by 
the fact that hardly one was to be seen there by day, that being the 
time when these birds are in the habit of remaining about their nests. 
In September they are to be seen far from land, both by day and by 
night; and in calm weather they alight on the water and may then be 
easily approached. They swim buoyantly, and when sporting on the 
water present a very graceful appearance. Two that had been caught 
with hooks walked about as well as ducks. On being approached they 
would open their bills, raise their feathers, and ejected through their 
nostrils an oily substance. * * * They refused all sorts of food, and, 
being very unpleasant pets, were soon set at liberty, when, instead of 
flying away directly, they plunged into the water, dived about, then 
splashed and washed themselves, before they took to their wings, flying 
with their usual ease and grace, In the stomachs of those he opened 
Audubon found portions of fish, crabs, sea-weeds and oily substances.”— 
B. B. and R. Birds of N. A., Vol. ii. 
