NATURAL HISTORY. at 
a delicacy for their tables, and a medicine for their 
‘difeafes. Itlikewife denotes a change of wind. . 
This bird is larger than the common gull; the bill 
is very ftrong, yellow and hoeked at the end. In- 
itead of a black toe, it has a kind of ftraight fpan. . It 
‘feeds on the blubber 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 untilit is 
obliged, through repletion, to difgorge its food. — 
Whales are frequently difcovered by meanis of thefe 
birds; which colle€&t together in vait numbers and. 
follow therh, if hopes of prey, as fharks follow fhips 
that have difeafe on board, with the fanie expectation. 
The blubber on which they feed is what furnifhes 
them with the oil above mentioned. They feems 
therefore, as if created for the purpofe of fupplying 
_ the inhabitants of that part of the globe with a com- 
_ modity fo éffential- to light them,in thofe regions, 
‘which could not otherwife be cheered from the 
| wintry gloom. 
tio # °. GULL and PEFREL: | 
Ov thefe birds, the larger fott-aré moft fhy, an 
live at the greateft rod while the {maller fort 


refide wherever they cz their prey. ‘Lhey are 
‘principally diftinguifhed n angtilar knob on the 
ower chap of the bill, which the petrels have not. 
| The fea fwallow, which is alfo of this fpecies, has 4 
itraight, flender, fharp pointed bill. In their abodes 
and appetites, however, they all agtee hovering over 
_ Fivers and preying on the {maller fifh, as well as fol- 
lowing the ploughinan into the fields, to pick up in- 
ects. When they can find no other fubfiftence, they 
_ will feed on Perige  eney are to be foufd in the 

