Part 60

This is another species inhabiting the Salvages and islands off the west coast of Africa.

Some three or four examples have been obtained, which were originally wrongly identified as P. obscurus, an American species.

The upper parts are slaty black and under parts white. Bill and legs blackish; webs yellow. Length 10·5 in.; wing 7·4 in.

THE CAPPED PETREL Æstrelata hæsitata (Kuhl)

Extremely little is known of this species, which used to nest in the West Indies. It has occurred here on one occasion only.

The crown, nape, and mantle are dark brown; hind-neck and upper tail coverts white; cheeks grey; forehead and under parts white; central tail feathers brownish black; the rest, white edged with brown. Length 16 in.; wing 11·3 in.

THE COLLARED PETREL Æstrelata brevipes (Peale)

A single example of this Petrel was obtained off the coast of Wales in December 1889. The southern and western Pacific appear to be its true home.

The crown is slaty grey; rest of upper parts darker, becoming browner on the wing coverts. Forehead and throat white; rest of under parts white, sometimes tinged with grey. Length 11·5 in.; wing 8·7 in.

BULWER'S PETREL Bulweria bulweri (Jardine and Selby)

This small Petrel is a common resident in the Canaries and neighbouring islands, but only one individual has straggled to our shores.

The plumage is of a uniform sooty brown; tail wedge-shaped. Bill black. Legs reddish brown. Length 11 in.; wing 8 in.

THE FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis (Linnæus)

Although not very rare, this bird is seldom seen, as it spends most of its time at sea in attendance on the fishing-boats or on the banks where the fish abound. In Scotland it nests on St. Kilda and a few of the other islands of that group; while in the Shetlands, where it was first known to nest in 1878, it has now spread to several of the neighbouring stacks.

The nest is placed on a ledge on the face of a precipitous cliff, and the single egg is pure white with a few reddish-brown spots. The young are at first nourished on a yellowish oil vomited by the parent birds, and large numbers are annually taken in St. Kilda for the sake of this oil. It may easily be distinguished from a Gull on the wing by its peculiar flight and rounded wings.

The back and tail are grey, the rest of the bird white. Bill yellowish; legs ash colour. The young resemble their parents. The more northerly form of this bird has greyish under parts and may be met with in Scotland in winter. Length 19 in.; wing 13·25 in.

THE BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS Diomedea melanophrys, Boie

The true home of this species is in the southern seas near the Chatham Islands and New Zealand, but it has been known for some time past to occasionally visit the North Atlantic.

A specimen was obtained near Cambridge on the 9th of July 1897.

The adult has a short black band passing through and above the eyes; back and wings brownish black; tail feathers grey; rest of the plumage white. Length 27 in.; wing 17 in.

INDEX

A Accentor, Alpine, 70 Hedge, 67 Albatross, Black-browed, 399 Auk, Great, 377 Little, 380 Avocet, 312

B Bee-Eater, 184 Bittern, American, 228 Common, 227 Little, 227 Blackbird, 15 Blackcap, 45 Bluethroat, 34 Brambling, 128 Bullfinch, 135 Bunting, Black-headed, 139 Cirl, 143 Corn, 140 Lapland, 149 Little, 146 Meadow, 145 Ortolan, 144 Reed, 147 Rustic, 145 Siberian Meadow, 145 Snow, 150 Yellow, 141 Yellow-breasted, 147 Bustard, Great, 292 Little, 292 Macqueen's, 293 Buzzard, Common, 201 Honey, 210 Rough-legged, 203

C Capercaillie, 274 Chaffinch, 126 Chiffchaff, 53 Siberian, 54 Chough, 154 Coot, 290 Cormorant, 219 Courser, Cream-coloured, 296 Crake, Baillon's, 287 Little, 286 Spotted, 285 Crane, 291 Creeper, Tree-, 85 Wall-, 85 Crossbill, 137 Two-barred, 139 Crow, Carrion, 163 Hooded, 164 Cuckoo, 186 American Yellow-billed, 189 Great Spotted, 189 Curlew, 347 Eskimo, 349

D Dabchick, Little Grebe or, 390 Dipper, 70 Diver, Black-throated, 384 Great Northern, 383 Red-throated, 385 White-billed Northern, 384 Dotterel, 296 Dove, Rock, 271 Stock, 270 Turtle, 272 Duck, Buffel-headed, 258 Common Sheld, 239 Eider, 260 Ferruginous, 254 Golden-eye, 257 Harlequin, 259 Long-tailed, 258 Mallard, or Wild, 241 Ruddy Sheld, 240 Scaup, 256 Tufted, 255 Dunlin, 324

E Eagle, Golden, 204 Spotted, 203 White-tailed, 205 Egret, Little, 225 Eider, King, 261 Steller's, 261

F Falcon, Greenland, 211 Gyr, 211 Iceland, 211 Red-footed, 215 Fieldfare, 10 Finch, Citril, 120 Firecrest, 51 Flamingo, 230 Flycatcher, Pied, 107 Red-breasted, 108 Spotted, 105 Fulmar, 398

G Gadwall, 244 Gannet, 222 Garganey, 250 Godwit, Bar-tailed, 345 Black-tailed, 346 Goldfinch, 117 Goosander, 264 Goose, Bean, 233 Bernacle, 235 Brent, 235 Grey Lag, 231 Pink-footed, 233 Red-breasted, 234 Snow, 234 White-fronted, 232 Goshawk, 206 Grebe, Black-necked or Eared, 389 Great Crested, 387 Little, 390 Red-necked, 388 Slavonian or Horned, 389 Greenfinch, 114 Greenshank, 343 Grosbeak, Pine, 137 Scarlet, 136 Grouse, Black, 275 Pallas' Sand, 273 Red, 276 Guillemot, Black, 379 Brünnich's, 379 Common, 377 Gull, Black-headed, 360 Bonaparte's, 359 Common, 363 Glaucous, 368 Greater Black-backed, 367 Great Black-headed, 362 Herring, 364 Iceland, 369 Ivory, 371 Kittiwake, 369 Lesser Black-backed, 366 Little, 360 Mediterranean Black-headed, 362 Sabine's, 358 Wedge-tailed, 359