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OCEAN BIRDS.

OCEAN BIRDS

BY

J. F. GREEN.

WITH

A PREFACK BY A. G. GUILLEMARD.

AND

A TREATISK ON SKINNING BIRDS BY F. H. H. GUILLEMARD, M.D.

he Illustrations by

FRANCES E. GREEN.

LONDON:

Ree ORME, 6, 2H NEE DE NS SiR EBV We

1887.

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I DEDICATE THIS BOOK.

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CONTENTS.

PREFACEH. (By A. G. GuILLEMARD.) .
GLOSSARY OF TERMS

PART i:
CHAPTER I.—ALBATROSSES .
» IL--SMALL PETRELS
» If.—OTHER PETRELS

PARK EL:
CHAPTER I.—FRIGATE-BIRDS
, IL—GANNETS .
, II.—TROPIC-BIRDS .

PA Lie
CHAPTER I.—TERNS
, II.—GULLS
, IIL—SKUAS

ADDENDA .

APPENDIX.—HINTS ON SKINNING AND PRESERVING BIRDS
(By F. H. H. Gurtemarp, M.D.)

PAGE

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PLATE I., FIG. 1—GREAT WANDERING ALBATROSS.

i

LIST OF PLATES.

( Drawn BY FRancES E. GREEN. )

2,.—SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS.

3.—CAUTIOUS ALBATROSS.

4,—CULMINATED ALBATROSS.

5.—YELLOW-BILLED ALBATROSS.
6.—BLACK EYE-BROWED ALBATROSS.

7.—SOOTY ALBATROSS.

8.—STORMY PETREL. (Lirt size.)

9.—GIANT
10.—GREAT

PETREL.
SKUA.

(Lire size.)

(Lire sIzez.)

(Lire size.)

PREFACE.

=) ronnowinc Notes on Ocean Birps, their appearance and habits, have

been compiled with the special object of interesting, and at the same time,

to some small extent, instructing a special class of readers—those who are
led by business, or pleasure, or the pursuit of health, to take a long sea voyage. And
it may be stated at the outset that the birds depicted and described in the following
pages are those usually seen in the course of a voyage from England to Australia or
New Zealand round the Cape of Good Hope, and home round Cape Horn, thus
completing a tour round the world. Those of us alone who have made a voyage of

this kind can appreciate fully the interest which attaches to Ocean Bird-lfe.

Every passenger who embarks on board a ship bound for Australasia, is well
aware that the voyage in prospect must, from more than one poimt of view, be
monotonous. For a period of some three months he will be cribbed, cabined, and
confined within the narrow limits of the ship’s decks, and restricted as to society to
a small circle of fellow-passengers, amongst whom it must be hoped that he will find a
few with tastes and trains of thought congenial to his own. In point of exercise he will
be limited to his daily constitutionals on the poop or in the waist of the ship, and to
occasional climbs aloft, upon which latter he will venture with no slight amount of
trepidation. Amusements will be open to him in the shape of the ordinary games, such
as cock-fighting, boxing, and small cricket, that can be carried on on deck, and chess
tournaments, theatricals, and concerts will occupy pleasantly many a lazy hour. If wise,
he will not fail to take with him a goodly store of standard books, for one always finds
on board ship more time for reading than falls to one’s lot when ashore. Stirring events

b

iv PREFACE.

may possibly be in storé for him, but the majority of passengers will be found to confess
that they are not able to recall to memory more than a dozen occurrences a few years

after their voyage has terminated.

A gale i the dreaded Bay of Biscay, a glimpse of Madeira’s mountains rising
abruptly from the blue plain of the sea, the first gorgeous sunset in the Tropics, the
first “school” of Flying-fish scudding away from the ship’s side, a ‘clock calm” on
the Line, the first mighty Albatross soaring majestically over the poop, a fleeting
vision of the glorious Peak of Tristan da Cunha towering up into the cloud-wreaths, the

first sight of the Southern Cross, the first Whale, the first look at Australia,—events

and scenes such as these will remain as the most noteworthy memories of a voyage to
the sunny South. It will readily be gathered that these events and scenes, being mostly
of transient interest, do not go far towards varying the monotony of sea and sky during
a period of three months. And mainly for this reason: so soon as the good ship, borne
steadily on her course by the grateful trade-winds, has passed through the Tropics and
reached the bird-latitudes of the South Atlantic, passengers of both sexes, whether berthed
in the poop or steerage, welcome with delight the first Albatross. The bright-eyed middy
who first deseries the snowy breast and mighty wings of the noble bird sharply outlined
against the sky, becomes forthwith the central figure of an animated group of enquirers.
Very much to his own satisfaction does he pose as a ‘‘mariner of the long voyage,” as
he spins his little yarn of the habits of the great ocean bird, its wonderful powers of
flight, and his own pet method of setting about its capture by means of a long line and
carefully-baited sail-hook. And very much to the satisfaction of his questioners is it to
learn that, now that the tropic zone has been cleared, Cape Pigeon or white-winged Tern,
Frigate-bird or Booby, Albatross or Molly-hawk, or some other member of the Ocean Bird
tribe, alike under blue skies or lowering rain-clouds, in howling gale or favouring weather,
will accompany the ship over some eight thousand miles of water until Australia’s shores

are sighted.

None but those who have studied Ocean Bird-life from a ship’s decks in the course

of a long voyage can fully appreciate the charm of the companionship of these beautiful

5 i (es La IIMEM GH}. ! Vv
;

wanderers. The author, who during several passages to and from Australia, India, China,
and North America, has derived the greatest enjoyment from such study, has often
realised how very little is known’ by passengers, as a class, of the habits of these birds,
and even of the names by which they are recognised by English amateur bird collectors.
The following chapters, in which the various Ocean Birds are referred to by their popular
seafaring names’ as used by passengers, as well as by the proper names by which they
are known to naturalists, contain descriptions of the plumage and appearance of each bird,
which are sufficiently detailed to enable observers to recognise it as it flies near the ship,
and also embrace hints as to the best method of capture to be adopted by those desirous

of adding specimens to a collection.

The illustrations are from the pencil of, Miss Frances E. Green, who has made
careful sketches from accurately-stuffed specimens of birds captured by the Author, and
I may be allowed to venture the opinion that those who have seen the subjects in their

natural state will recognise the fidelity of the drawings.

The Author presents his work to the public in the hope of interesting those bound

*
for distant seas in the winged companions of their travels.

ARTHUR G. GUILLEMARD.

(

GLOSSARY

Vil

)

OF TERMS.

For the following Glossary of Terms employed in this work, and for the accompanying explanatory figure,
T am indebted to Dr. F. H. H. Guillemard.

Acumrinatr.—Sharp-pointed.

Axtsino.—* Albinos are animals in which the usual colouring-
matters characteristic of the species have not been
produced in the skin and its appendages.”’—Darwin.

Auvricutars.—The feathers covering the ears.
AxILLARIES.—The feathers covering the region of the axilla.

CrrE.—Bare skin at the base of the bill in certain birds,
especially in the Pigeons.

Crryix.—The nape of the neck.
Commissure.—Line of junction or union.

Coverts, Tarn (upper).—The feathers sheathing the rectrices
of the tail on the upper surface at the posterior part of
the uropygium.

Coverts, Tain (under).—The corresponding feathers on the
under surface, in the region of the vent.

Coverts, W1NG (greater and lesser).—Feathers sheathing the
remigies, or quill-feathers of the wing (see Figure).

Crissum.—The region of the vent.

CutmEN.—The ridge of the maxilla.

Decurvep.—Curved downwards.

Fauna.—All the animals naturally inhabiting a certain
region.

FLora.—All the plants naturally inhabiting a certain region.

Gonys.—The ridge of the lower mandible.

Guitar PoucH or Sac.—Dilatation of commencement of
alimentary tract, as in the Pelicans.

Hatiux.—The hind toe.

Hypocuonpria.—The side of the body; that part covered by
the wings when closed.

Trts (plural Irmxrs).—The coloured portion of the eye
surrounding the pupil.

LameLLatep.—Furnished with lamelle or little plates.
LaminatEepD.—Ensheathed or covered with lamin or plates.

Lorrs.—The part between the eye and the base of the
bill (c).
C

vill GLOSSARY

MANDIBLE.—Term properly applied only to the lower
jaw (8); but the mazilla, or upper jaw (A), is often
called the upper mandible.

Maxiiia.—The upper jaw (A).

MemBranE, InrerRDIGITAL.—The web between the toes,
which in land birds is usually entirely absent, or but
slightly marked.

Nares.—The nostrils.

Nasal SHeatrH.—Bare skin covering the base of the bill and
nostrils, especially marked in the Hawks.

PrctinaTE.—Comb-like.

Primaries.—The great flight-feathers of the wing.

Recrrices.—The quill-feathers of the tail.

Remicies.—The chief feathers of flight of the wing. They
are divided into primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries.

ReticuLateD.—Of a net-like aspect.

ScapuLars.—Feathers of the shoulder region, which cover
the side of the back.

OF TERMS.

ScurEtta2.—The horny plates on the anterior aspect of the
tarsus.

SEconDArius.—The secondary flight-feathers of the wing.
SPATULATE.—Spoon-shaped.

SyMpHysis.—A growing together or joining of one bone with
another.

Tarsus (plural Tarst).—The leg bone immediately above
the foot.

TripactyLeE.— Three-fingered, or composed of three movable
parts attached to a common base.” —Darwin.

Uropryerum.—The region of and behind the vent.

Wess (outer)—The feathering or webbing of any of the
tail- or flight-feathers on the side away from the
median line of the body.

Wess (inner).—The feathering or webbing of any of the
tail- or flight-feathers on the side nearest the median
line of the body.

PART I.

PROCEKELLARIIDA.

Cuarter I.—ALBATROSSES.
IL—SMALL PETRELS.

,» UL—OTHER PETRELS.

*

PART I.—PROCELLARIID &.

CHAPTER I.
DIOMEDEIN® (THE ALBATROSSES).

“And a good south wind sprang up behind,
The Albatross did follow,
And every day, for food or play,
Came to the mariners’ halloa.”
CoLERIDGE.

=: may HE ALBATROSSES (Diomedeine) are a subfamily and the giants of the great

Petrel tribe (Procellariide). They may always be recognised by their lateral

nostrils; as all the rest of the family have them tubular on the ridge of the
bill. The two different arrangements are clearly shown in Plate I., the Great Wandering
Albatross (Diomedea exulans); and in Plate V., the Giant Petrel (Ossifraga gigantea).

The Albatross is the monarch of Ocean Birds. No one who has watched one of these
birds following a ship in ‘‘ open water,” its broad white breast and enormous spread of wing
outlined clearly against the glorious blue of the sky as it soars over the taffrail, will be
disposed to question its right to the title. For not only is it the largest in point of size
of body, but its extent of wing dwarfs that of all other wanderers on ‘blue water,” and
its carriage and flight are stately and imposing to a unique degree.

In an old book entitled ‘Grose’s Voyage’ it is stated that the name Albatross is
derived from the fact that the Portuguese called the bird Alcatraz (Ostrich), on account
of its size, from which word, by corruption, is derived Albatross. Others, again, say that
aleatraz is the Spanish for a Gannet. So I think it must be admitted that the etymology
is doubtful.

4 OCEAN BIRDS.

There are eight distinct species of Albatross now discovered, viz. :—

Tue Great WanpDertIna AxLBAtRoss (Diomedea exulans, Gould). Plate I., fig. 1.
THE SHort-TaiteD ALBATROSS (D. brachyura, Audubon). Plate II., fig. 2.

Tue Cautious Aupatross (D. cauta, Gould). Plate II., fig. 3.

Tue CunminatepD Axsatross (D. culminata, Gould). Plate II., fig. 4.

Tue YELLOW-BILLED ALBatRoss (D. chlororhynchos, Gould). Plate II., fig. 5.
THE Biack-BrowED ALBatross (D. melanophrys, Gould). Plate IL., fig. 6.

Tue Sooty Atsatross (D. fuliginosa, Gould). Plate IL., fig. 7.

And lastly the newly discovered D. irrorata, Salvin, p. 16.

Capt. King, R.N. (Proce. Zool. Soc., 1834, p. 128), says :—‘‘ Where one species abounds,
the others are only occasionally seen; from which it may be inferred that each species
breeds in distinct haunts.” This I have noticed to hold good on an entire voyage from
England to Australia; so that the times of breeding must be as distinct as the localities.

On account of its superior size, together with its well-earned popularity with seafarimg
folk, comes first and foremost the Great WanpErine Ausatross (D. exulans), Plate I., fig. 1—
The Albatross, as it is always considered at sea. This most truly magnificent bird is found
chiefly between 30° and 60° S. latitude, and as the famous naturalist Gould tells us, in his
‘Australian Birds,’ “is constantly engaged in making a circuit of the globe in that particular
zone allotted by nature for its habitation.” It is occasionally met with in the Tropics as
far as 12° South, but when seen there always appears to be completely out of its element.
Lord Pembroke and Dr. Kingsley, in ‘South Sea Bubbles,’ say that an Albatross in a dead
calm is one of the meanest of creatures on the wing they had ever seen, and I well remember
a long calm in the Tropics with a solitary bird keeping close to the ship, and how laboured his
flight appeared. The aspect and carriage of the bird would bear no comparison to that of
the dashing-looking specimens seen south of the Cape of Good Hope. Bree includes
D. exulans in his beautiful ‘ Birds of Europe.’ I have known several instances of their being
conveyed across the line in a ship, and let fly on the northern side. Now such birds would be
sure to take a northerly course, which probably accounts for their being introduced as
an European species.

A distinguishing feature of Diomedea is their formidable bill. In D. exulans it is pale
yellow, and about six inches in length, with the upper mandible hooked at the point and the
lower truncated. Like all the Albatrosses the nostrils are large and prominent, and placed
widely apart. The head, neck, and body much resemble those of a Goose, both in shape and

size, especially when deprived of the extraordinarily thick layer of feathers. The comparatively

PROCELLARUDA. 5

small size of the bird in that state is well shown at the Natural History Museum (South
Kensington), where the skeleton of an Albatross is placed side by side with a stuffed specimen.

The birds vary much in colour, from pure white, speckled or spotted with grey, to a
uniform chocolate-brown, and, though a very white bird is of necessity old, and’a brown bird
is more or less young, this difference is by no means altogether dependent on the age of the
bird or the season of the year. The chocolate-brown birds are rather common, and always
have a white face. Those I have seen and caught were quite as large as the lighter-coloured
birds; in fact the largest Albatross that I know of is a chocolate-coloured bird, now on view
at the Natural History Museum.

The specimen from which Fig. 1 was painted I caught in 42° 48’ §., 59° 43’ KE. It
measured six feet across the wings; and I kept it on account of the unusually beautiful
pencil-marking on the breast. All sorts of exaggerated reports are common talk, both at sea
and on land, with regard to its spread of wing, which, though enormous, is rarely found to
exceed eleven feet four inches from tip to tip. I once made the voyage round the world with
a captain who had studied Albatrosses for forty years. During that period he had caught
an incredible number, and I myself have frequently seen him capture twelve or so in a
day. He always made a point of measuring them most accurately across the wings, and
in all his vast experience he never found one over eleven feet four inches. I have caught
and measured considerably over a hundred myself, and, curiously enough, my largest birds
were also eleven feet four inches from tip to tip.

It is these wonderful wings, with their huge hollow bones, that give to the Albatross
its marvellous flying powers. Sailors say that the bird trims its wings to the breeze, and
can thus sail along within one or two points of the wind’s eye. The action of the wind
itself on the wings, however, can have nothing to do with the bird’s progression through
the air, as it is the resistance of the water that causes a ship to forge ahead when
sailing ‘‘on a wind.” In ‘Cassell’s Natural History’ (vol. iv.), in the description of the
Albatross, this matter is cleverly dealt with. Dr. Bennett states that he believes the
whole surface of the body of the Albatross is covered by numerous air-cells capable of
voluntary inflation or diminution by means of a beautiful muscular apparatus. By this
power the birds can raise or depress themselves at will. But there is nothing in their
up and down flight sufficiently out of the common to require any apparatus different from
other birds, and, with regard to their ordinary flying, Darwin’s remarks on the Condor
are very applicable. He says:—‘‘The force to keep up the momentum of a body moving
in a horizontal plane cannot be great, and this force is ali that is wanted—a movement

of neck and body appears sufficient.”

6 OCEAN BIRDS.

With respect to this subject, Dr. R. W. Coppinger has the following, in the ‘Cruise
of the Alert’:—‘‘TI have had many opportunities of watching the Yellow-billed species
(D. melanophrys), and I have noticed that it sometimes uses its wings to raise or propel
itself in such a manner that to a superficial observer it would then appear to be only
soaring with wings stationary. It does not ‘flap’ them, but depresses them rapidly
towards the breast, so that it seems as if the body were being raised at the expense of
the wings, whereas, in reality, the entire bird is elevated. The movement does not
resemble a flap, simply because the return of the wings to the horizontal position is
accomplished by a comparatively slow movement. By resorting to this mancuvre
occasionally, it is able to maintain a soaring flight for periods which, without its aid,
might be considered extraordinarily long. Of course, when it wants to gain a fresh stock
of buoyancy and momentum, it gives three or four flaps like any other bird.”

But though it is true that an Albatross cannot soar aloft like an Hagle, and the
horizontal flying requires less muscular power, it is in the long, never-wearying flight,
carried on for weeks together, day and night without cessation, with a speed sufficient
to go with ease in gigantic circles round and round a vessel sailing at a rate of ten or
eleven knots, that it stands unrivalled. That such is the case has been often proved by
some peculiarly marked bird being observed night after night and day after day following the
ship, and is now a well-established fact, although in the old days, when, with close-reefed
sails, all hands turned in at night, sailors used unblushinely to affirm that the birds slept
out the middle watches on the yard-arms. It is therefore evident that rest, sleep, and
drink are alike indifferent to them, and that in their habits they are both diurnal and
nocturnal. In a sea-fog they are neither heard nor seen, though if about they would be easily
detected. This is then probably one of the few occasions on which they keep to the water ;
but though the ship may be bowling merrily along the whole time, when the weather
clears the same birds will appear, so quickly can they catch up the vessel again.

Their natural food consists of all organic matter the sea may heave up, and principally
Squid. The same Captain I have quoted with reference to the size of the birds wrote
me, ‘‘I have found the mandible of the Great Squid, which is like the beak of a Parrot,
and the only hard part of the creature, in the crop of the bird when caught.” Likewise,
in the examinations made on board H.M.S. ‘Challenger,’ cuttle-fish (which is the same
thing) turned out to be their principal food. In very bad weather they fly with their
enormous wings doubled up like a wide-spread W—a sort of reefing. It is then that
they show their wonderful powers of flying to the best advantage, as with no perceptible

effort they forge ahead apparently in the teeth of the very stiffest gale.

PROCELLARIID. if

The great breeding-place of the Albatross is Tristan da Cunha, a tiny mountainous
island in the South Atlantic Ocean. In Moseley’s notes on the voyage of the ‘ Challenger,’
describing Tristan da Cunha, is contained the following interesting account of the breeding
of the Albatrosses:—‘ The Albatrosses take up their abode in separate pairs here and
there amongst the Penguins or under the trees where there are none of these birds, the
latter situation evidently being preferred. The nest is cylindrical in shape, and made of
masses of grass and sedge, intermixed with clay. The nest cavity at the top of this solid
cylinder is very shallow, and the edge overhangs, through, it is said, the sitting bird
picking away the ring of which it is made as it sits. One of these nests measured
fourteen inches in diameter, and was ten inches high. They are so compact that when
deserted by their owners and the grass has grown over them they make a convenient
seat. Only one egg is laid, about the size of that of a goose, or a little larger, elongated,
with one end larger than the other. When approached the birds remain sitting quietly
or stand by them without attempting to fly away. If disturbed while on their nests they
will snap their bills. The male is usually seen with the female at the nest, and marks of
affection frequently pass between them. The egg is held in a kind of pouch while it is
being incubated, and the bird has to be driven right off its nest before it can be
ascertained whether it contains an egg or not. The breeding of these birds takes place
in October, November, and December, the summer time of regions lying south of the
Equator. The Great Albatross (D. exulans) also nests on Tristan da Cunha, within the
crater of the highest cone, 7000 feet above sea-level, and their mode of nidification,
courtship, &c., is very similar to that of the preceding species.’’ The nests are of course
rather larger, and the egg more like that of a Swan than a Goose.

The Albatross is easily caught at sea with a baited hook, the only difficulty being to
pay out sufficient line to keep the bait stationary while the ship is forging ahead through
the water and the bird is making up its mind to seize the bait. The birds see it directly,
as their sight is marvellous, but they have to settle on the water first, and they well
know that rising again is a tedious job. In this, however, they are much assisted if
there is plenty of wind and a good-sized wave to strike off from. It is then interesting
to notice how they run along, rising higher out of the water at each stroke, till they
fairly push themselves clear off the undulating surface. To entice a bird down as quickly
as possible it is a good plan to throw overboard a handful of scraps, making the bait
keep amongst them. The line is floated by means of corks placed close to the
hook, which should be a treble one, as there is no time to lose, and the bird must be
hooked directly he seizes the bait. Both line and hook should be light, to float as long

Cc

8 OCEAN BIRDS.

as possible, and yet very strong, as if well hooked the hauling of the bird on board is
simply a question of your tackle holding, and from the fact that you are travelling all the
time through the water, no give and take, or ‘‘ playing” your bird, can be indulged in.
Farlow of the Strand, Holroyd of Gracechurch Street, and others, make waterproof cable-
laid sea-line in lengths of sixty yards, at about five shillings each, and three such lengths
will answer the purpose admirably, while for hooks the largest size treble jack-hooks, such
as are used on a spoon-bait, are most suitable. For all the other species of Albatross
(‘‘Mollies’’), and also the Giant Petrel, exactly the same tackle is necessary, only
everything on a slightly smaller scale.

In common with all other fishing, but more particularly here, as the bird is only
hooked in the beak, a tight lime must be kept. When you commence hauling or winding
him in (I always wound up on a winch like a huge log-reel) the bird generally throws
back his head, pushes out both his feet, and flaps ‘‘ hard astern” with his powerful wings.
Care must then be taken to prevent his being dragged bodily under instead of along the
top; as, should this happen the bird gets filled with water, and the weight to pull in is
immensely increased. Sometimes, however, he rises in the air, especially in certain
latitudes with the wind right aft. In my private log the following notes bear on this
subject :—‘* With a N.W. wind, in and about lat. £8° 8. and long. 27° W., on the voyage to
Australia,—that is, with the right wind aft,—an Albatross when hooked will fly straight up
in the air. ‘This has been noticed for years and years by our sporting Captain (Capt.
Austen Cooper, R.N.R., of the ‘Carlisle Castle’). It is then a difficult job to bring him
on board, as trying to keep a tight line often results in pulling him right over, and he
falls on his back in the water, the hook comes out, and—worst of all—the poor bird rarely
succeeds in righting himself again.”

I remember once seeing an Albatross caught in a very strange manner. It was on
a Sunday afternoon on board one of the old Australian sailing-ships. Sunday fishing was
prohibited, so of course the birds swarmed, and one Albatross in particular kept hovering
right over the man at the wheel. ‘The lead-line was lying out to dry, and the Captain,
in a jocular manner, swung it round and round his head and hove it in true nautical
fashion, only straight at the bird. The heavy lead took a turn round its wings,
and, to the surprise of all hands, including even the Captain himself, the bird half
flew and was half dragged on board. He strutted and swaggered about for some time,
fighting furiously with all the dogs, and was finally launched into mid-air off the
taffrail, as one of these birds is unable to rise from such a smooth surface as a

ship’s deck.

PROCELLARIIDA. 9

The first thing an Albatross does on board is to discharge the contents of its
stomach. Some say this is a mode of defence; others that he becomes ship-sick. The
bird, however, does the same thing when closely pursued by an enemy,—as, for instance,
the small but formidable Skua Gull,—a “take this and let me go” sort of policy. Possibly,
then, it tries the same tactics when in the power of its still more formidable enemy, man.
It next ejects a quantity of oil, of which these birds possess an enormous amount. As
they never leave the ocean except for breeding purposes, they must occasionally have to
rest in a dangerous sea. Is it possible, then, that they possess the power of ejecting
this oil in order to be able to ‘“‘calm the troubled waters,” and therefore, as a last
resource in this their new danger, try the same mancuvre that has so often helped
them before ?

In order to kill an Albatross an extra strong dose of prussic acid should be poured
down its throat, and, having tied up its mouth, you may prepare for skinning. Everyone
knows the final uses the specimen may then be put to. Its webbed feet make capital
tobacco-pouches by drawing out all the bone and leaving on the claws as ornaments.
The skin of the feet should be well stuffed with tow, and then pinned out on a board to
dry. The wing-bones make excellent pipe-stems; the breast, if carefully cured, a warm
though somewhat conspicuous muff; and the beak, in the hands of a skilled artificer,
a handsome paper-clip.

In skinning an Albatross,—always a long and tedious job,—too much time cannot
be spent in scraping the layers of fat off the skin, and then thoroughly curing with
arsenical soap. This being satisfactorily accomplished, at every available opportunity bring
the skin up on deck, and leave it in the wind and out of the sun. If these directions are
not fully carried out a most disagreeable smell will always remain, and the grease will
eventually show through the feathers and spoil the specimen.

Whether an Albatross will attack a person in the water—as, for instance, in the
case of anyone falling overboard—is a subject of controversy. The fact is an Albatross
swoops down at anything and everything in the sea, from a human being to an old beer-
barrel, in all probability out of curiosity, and so indeed do most other sea-birds. Anyone
bathing from a ship’s boat in ‘“‘blue water” will find that every bird in his immediate
vicinity, both great and small, will, as it were, “go for him’; but though they come
uncomfortably near, it is doubtful if any real harm ever ensues. At the same time, the
beak of an Albatross is not to be trifled with, and I should not recommend a personal
test as a means of solving the question. But it is quite certain that if the bird’s
object is food it always settles on the water first. This subject is well dealt with by

10 OCEAN BIRDS.

Lord Pembroke and Dr. Kingsley, who write:—‘‘ There seems to be no foundation for
the common report that he pounces on his prey, and will with his formidable beak split
the head of a man overboard. No bird has less ‘picking up’ or ‘striking power’ when

’

on the wing;” and with reference to its settlmg on the water, the same writers say,
“he is as careful of wetting the soft under-feathers of his wings as a lady is of protecting
the hem of her petticoat against the mud of the kennel.”

The following account, which appeared in the ‘Sydney Morning Herald,’ has reference
to the fact of an Albatross swooping down upon a man who fell overboard from the

barque ‘Gladstone’ :—

“On the 24th October, 1881, at noon, whilst the ship was in lat. 42° §. and long. 90° E.,
and going at the rate of about ten knots an hour, the cry of ‘Man overboard!’ was raised.
Capt. Jackson and his chief officer, Mr. John Rugg, who were seated at dinner at the time,
immediately rushed out of the cabin and rounded the ship to. A boat, manned by four hands,
was then lowered, and left the ship in charge of Mr. Rugg five minutes after the alarm was raised.
The man was then out of sight, but the rescuing party pulled towards the spot where it was
supposed he had fallen, and after some little time found him clinging to an Albatross, which he
was using as a life-buoy. As soon as the boat got within a few yards of him he let the bird go
and swam to the boat, being apparently none the worse for his unexpected immersion. He returned
on board smiling, and stated that just after he fell an Albatross swooped down upon him and
made a peck at him, but he seized it by the neck and kept its head under water until he had
drowned it, and then used it to preserve his own life, in the manner already described. The boat was
away about one hour. The sea was very rough at the time, and the wind was from the N.W. The
most remarkable thing about this remarkable story is that the man, who could only swim a little,
had heavy sea-boots on at the time of the accident, besides being encumbered with oil-skins. The
Albatross was the first that had been seen for a month.”

The similarity of the Albatross species is so remarkable that in describing the
haunts, habits, and characteristics of the Great Albatross we to a very great extent
give the leading features of all the species of Diomedea. They are, however, generally
erroneously divided into three distinct groups by sailors on board an Australian liner :—
The Albatross, which is of course D. exulans; the Stinkpot, really D. fuliginosa; and the
Mollyhawk, which embraces all the rest.

There is, however, one species of Albatross, not met with on the Australian voyage,
that should be acknowledged by all to be something out of the common, from the fact
of its being only found north of the line: for does not the great Dr. Johnson describe an
Albatross as a South-Sea bird? This bird (Plate II., fig. 2) is named by Gould the SHorr-
TAILED ALBATROss (Diomedea brachyura of Audubon), and by sailors on the China voyages
the ‘“‘China-Sea Albatross,” as it is seen more commonly there than elsewhere, but is also

found all across the North Pacific to the west coast of North America. It is considerably

PROCELLARUOD. lial

smaller than D. exulans, but is nevertheless a grand-looking bird, measuring some ten
feet across the wings. The first I ever saw was in lat. 23° 58’ N., and long. 132° 16’ E.—
that is to say, in the China Seas, just out of the Tropics. After a deal of persuasion in
the way of ground-bait, it was fairly hooked, but carried away everything owing to the
speed of the vessel at the time; but farther north, on other occasions, I was more
fortunate. I have noticed that some of these birds have a white streak running round
the base of the tail, that gives them the name of ‘ Ringtail” at sea; for it is exactly
like the white on the shore-loving ‘ Ringtail,” the female Hen Harrier (Circus cyancus).
We also considered in this case, too, that they were the females, but I never was fortunate
enough to catch one. To sum up on this species, I should say that this is the only
Albatross found habitually north of the line; it has, even for an Albatross, a
particularly short whitish-marked stumpy tail, and in size is just between the Albatross ,
(D. exulans) and the so-called ‘ Mollyhawk’”’ (D. melanophrys). Mr. Salvin, in his report

on Procellariide collected by H.M.S. ‘Challenger,’ says :—

Diomedea brachyura.—Two males and one female. North Pacific. ‘‘ These were all caught with the
hook from the ship while at sea in June and the first half of July, 1874, between Japan and Honolulu ;
they followed the ship every day in numbers till we got into the trade winds, when no more were

observed.”
One female. North Pacific. ‘‘ Eyes brown, bill black; stomach empty. Shot on the 1st April, 1875,

by Lord Campbell, with the Henry-rifle, while on the wing. We were just north of the Tropic ; but this
bird, as well as another Albatross, were seen some days before we had passed out of the Tropics.”

One male. North Pacific. ‘Eyes brown, feet and bill dark or nearly black; stomach had cuttlefish.
Caught with a hook, 7th April, 1875.” (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878, p. 740.)

D. nigripes of many writers is only a dark-coloured variety of this bird; in the same
way that the chocolate-coloured D. exulans is only a variety of the Great Wandering
Albatross. |

Fig. 3 represents the head of the Caurious Anpatross (D. cauta), whose head-quarters
are the Bass’s Straits. Many of us have often seen this bird, but only considering it an
uncommonly wily ‘Molly’ have failed to note it as a distinct species. It is, in fact, as
a rule, too clever to be caught, and therefore few opportunities occur for examining it.
It may, however, at close quarters always be distinguished from its relatives by the
peculiar bright yellow edging at the base of the lower mandible (see Fig. 3). In size it
is slightly less than the Short-tailed Albatross, and is nearly allied to, but larger than,
D. melanophrys (Fig. 6), and is to be met with both on shore and at sea in the same
latitudes as D. exulans. In My. Osbert Salvin’s notes to me he says, ‘ Very little known
of this bird, except Gould’s account.” In the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society,’ 1840

D

12 OCEAN BIRDS.

(p. 178), the dimensions of a female are given as follows :—Total length, 31 in.; bill, 44 in.;
wing, 21} in.; tail, 9in.; tarsi, 3 in. The male is always considerably larger.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent two species so uncommonly alike that it would indeed
require a naturalist of the late Mr. Gould’s order to have so distinguished them. In
mid-ocean they generally both go by the name of the ‘‘ Golden-beak Molly-hawk.”

The specimen from which Fig. 4 is copied is thus summed up in my private log :—
“24th Oct. 1867. Caught a Golden-beak Molly, with golden eyes, 6 ft. 9} in. across the
wings. Lat. 42° 05’ S., long. 128° 41’ K.”” The real name of this bird is the CunminaTED
Aupatross (D. culminata). It is essentially an Australian bird, and is generally found
roaming about the §8.W. shores of that great continent, but also frequents the Southern,
Indian, and South Pacific Oceans.

In Moseley’s ‘Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger,’ we find the following
account, but whether it refers to D. culminata or D. chlororhynchos (the Yellow-billed
Albatross) is not quite clear. Perhaps, like many others, he considers them but varieties
of the same bird, and so couples the two names in one:—‘‘ The Yellow-billed Albatross
(D. culminata) breeds on Nightingale Island, the smallest of the Tristan group, about
twenty miles §.W. of Tristan da Cunha Island, and about a square mile in extent.
The whole of this island, except the steepest slopes and the highest peaks, about one
thousand feet above the sea, is covered with a luxuriant growth of tall grass, almost
impenetrable, higher than a man’s head, and studded here and there with clumps
of trees. This sea of verdure is intersected by a long lane or street through which the
Penguins make their way to the sea.”

The specimen from which Fig. 5 was drawn was caught by me in lat. 54°16’ S.,
long. 112° 538’ W., and in my private log is described as the Blue-necked Golden-beaked
Molly.

Now both D. culminata and D. chlororhynchos are blue-necked and both are golden-
beaked, and they are no doubt closely allied, but I should be inclined to say that
D. culminata is a larger and heavier-looking bird, especially about the neck, where
there is also less blue than in D. chlororhynchos. The eyebrow is also much less distinctly
marked. There is also a considerable difference in the colouring of the beak and in
the way in which the golden-yellow is laid on, which is clearly shown in the
illustrations. The webbed feet of D. culminata are also proportionately larger than
those of D. chlororhynchos. The largest specimens I ever caught of either measured
eight feet across the wings. Gould says D. chlororhynchos fairly dives after its prey,

swimming under the water the while.

PROCELLARIIDA. 13

Fig. 6 represents the Biack-prowep AxsBatross (Diomedea melanophrys), our dear old
friend the common Molly-hawk, Molly-mauk, or Molly. This is by far the commonest and
most sociable of all the family, and except for the fact that you may be seeing the very
same birds day after day, as they all appear so exactly alike, one might think the Southern
Hemisphere produced these birds in extraordinary numbers. The specimens met with at
sea are nearly always almost identical both in size and colouring, thereby greatly differing
from the Great Wandering Albatross with its extraordinary variations. It is very rarely
seen without the well-defined black band across the back and wings (which is pointed
out as a distinguishing mark of the Molly to passengers on board ship); the snowy-
white head, breast, and body; the bright yellow beak; and, lastly, the dark-coloured
eyebrows, from which it derives its name. There is no visible difference in the sexes,
but those who have seen them on their breeding-stations say the younger the bird the
browner the bill. It is the most easily caught of all the Albatrosses, as it comes down
quicker and takes a bait less leisurely than the others of the Diomedea. The largest
specimen I ever caught was in lat. 38° 59’ S., long. 143° 33’ E., which measured eight
feet and an inch across the wings. In 1885 a fine specimen was obtained for the
Zoological Gardens, concerning which I addressed the following letter to the Editor of

‘The Times,’ which appeared on December 5th, 1885 :—

AN ALBATROSS IN THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.

Sir,—A few months ago you permitted me to write in ‘The Times’ about a giant Petrel, misnamed
by some an Albatross, that was deposited for a short time in the Zoological Gardens by Mr. Jamrach.
Thanks to Mr. Ayshford Sandford, there is now in the Eastern Aviary, facing the cage of the pretender,
a magnificent Black-eyebrowed Albatross (Diomedea melanophrys).

This is, I think, the only Albatross that has ever reached our shores alive; but, now that the
feat has been so successfully accomplished, there seems no reason why we should not also one day
possess a specimen of the Great Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), the largest by far of all
the Petrel tribe, and one of the grandest birds in the world.

Those that ‘go down to the sea in ships’ will recognise in this new arrival the sociable and
popular Mollyhauk, Mollymauk, or Molly, so easily distinguished by the broad black band across
its back.

In a large open grass aviary, with a fine stream to swim in, a huge grass mound to roost on,
unlimited fresh fish to eat, and a young Gannet to bully and chum with, this bird is doing well.

I remain your obedient servant, ;
Blackwall Yard. JOS. F. GREEN.

In the Society of Acclimatisation at Sydney they have or had both D. exulans and
D. melanophrys in captivity; but that is, of course, a very different undertaking, as the

birds are close at hand.

14 OCEAN BIRDS.

Fig. 7 represents the Soory Atpatross (Diomedea fuliginosa), commonly called at sea
the “ Stinkpot’”—a name which, with all respect be it spoken, might be applied to the
whole class. This Albatross differs in appearance from all its tribe, and no one would
imagine that it is of the same family as the grand-looking birds described above. It is
of much slimmer build, and it is doubtless from this fact that the late Mr. Gould said,
“the unrivalled flight of this Albatross carries off the palm from all competitors.” Its
plumage is sooty-black all over; eyes golden, and jet-black beak and feet. Its great object
at sea appears to be to study minutely the trucks of the masts, especially if vanes are
carried, round which it sails in the most marvellous manner, keeping beautifully even
pace with the vessel the while. This over-curiosity on its part is tempting to passengers
anxious to try the merits of their newly-bought fire-arms. This, however, as might be
imagined, would be likely to lead to serious consequences to the rigging; so in the ship
on which the specimen was shot from which Fig. 7 was drawn, only rifles were allowed,
and that at stated times, whilst only one person was permitted to fire at a time. The
birds themselves took absolutely no notice of the proceedings unless hard hit, and it is
a curious fact that no amount of noise or close whirr of bullets appears to have the
slightest effect on an Albatross. I shot this particular bird in lat. 40° 05’S., long.
3°11’ W., and a more unpleasant job than the skinning of it cannot well be imagined.
With respect to this bird, Moseley says: —‘*The Sooty Albatross (D. fuliginosa), called
‘Prew’ or ‘Pro’ by the sealers, breeds on Marion Island, and does not appear to nest
low down like other species.’’ Mr. Gould notes its first appearance in July, in one of his
voyages, in lat. 31° S.

The eighth species of Albatross I have dealt with at the end of this Chapter; and

as I have never seen the bird there is no illustration given.

The generic characters of the foregoing, as given by Gould, in his magnificent work
‘The Birds of Australia,’ will greatly assist the seafarer to determine the different species.
The description of Diomedea irrorata was given me by Mr. Salvin, who possesses the only
specimen in this country :—

1. Tae Wanperine Axtpatross (Diomedea exulans).—‘‘ Varies much in colour at different
ages; very old birds are entirely white, with the exception of the pinions, which are
black; and they are to be met with in every stage from pure white, white freckled and
barred with dark brown, to dark chocolate-brown approaching to black, the latter colouring
being always accompanied by a white face, which in some specimens is washed with buff;
beneath the true feathers they are abundantly supplied with a fine white down; the bill
is delicate pinky white, inclining to yellow at the tip; irides very dark brown; eyelash
bare, fleshy, and of a pale green; legs, feet and webs pinky white. The young are

PROCELLARIIDA.. 15

at first clothed in a pure white down, which gives place to the dark brown colouring
mentioned above.”

2. Tue Sworr-tarrep Axpatross (Diomedea brachyura).—*The adults of both sexes
have the general plumage white, washed with buff on the head and neck; the edge
and centre of the wing white, the remainder and the tips of the tail dark brown; Dill
pinky flesh-colour; irides brown; legs and feet bluish white; eyelash greenish white.
The young differ in being of a uniform chocolate-brown.”

3. THe Cautious ALBarross (Diomedea cauta).—‘‘The beautiful grey on the sides of
the mandibles, the delicate pale yellow of the culmen, and the yellow mark at the base
of the lower mandible will at all times distinguish this bird from the other members
of the genus. Crown of the head, back of the neck, throat, all the upper surface, rump
and upper tail-coverts pure white; lores and line over the eye greyish black, gradually
passing into the delicate pearl-grey which extends over the face; back, wings, and tail
greyish brown; irides dark vinous-orange; bill light vinous-grey, or bluish horn-colour,
except on the culmen, where it is more yellow, particularly at the base; the upper
mandible surrounded at the base by a narrow belt of black, which also extends on
each side of the culmen to the nostrils; base of the lower mandible surrounded by a
belt of rich orange, which extends to the corners of the mouth; feet bluish white ;
irides brown. When fully adult the sexes differ but little in colour; the female may,
however, at all times be distinguished by her diminutive size, and the young by the
bill being dark grey.”

4. Tue Cutminatep Axpatross (Diomedea culminata).—‘‘ Back, wings, and tail dark
greyish black, the latter with white shafts; head and neck white, washed with greyish
black; round the eye a mark of greyish black, interrupted by a streak of white
immediately below the lower part of the lid; rump, upper tail-coverts, and all the under
surface pure white; bill black; the culmen horn-colour; and the edge of the basal
three-fourths of the edge of the upper mandible orange. In the youthful state the head
and neck are dark grey, and the bill is of an uniform brownish black, with only an
indication of the lighter colour of the culmen.”

5. Tae YeLttow-pittep Axpatross (Diomedea chlororhynchos).—‘* Spot before a line above
the eye washed with grey; head, neck, all the under surface, rump, upper tail-coverts,
and under surface of the wing snow-white; back and wings brownish black; tail brownish
slate-colour, with white shafts; culmen from near the base to the poimt bright orange-
yellow; remainder of the bill black; irides greyish brown; feet bluish white.”

6. Tae Brack-ryesrowEp ALBatross (Diomedea melanophrys).—‘* Head, back of the neck,
all the under surface, and the upper tail-coverts pure white; before, above and behind
the eye a streak of blackish grey; wings dark brown; centre of the back slaty black,
into which the white of the back of the neck gradually passes; tail dark grey, with
white shafts; bill buffy yellow, with a narrow line of black round the base; legs and
toes yellowish white, the interdigital membrane and the joints washed with pale blue;
irides very pale brown, freckled with a darker tint.”’

16 OCEAN BIRDS.

7. Tue Sooty Arparross (Diomedea fuliginosa).—‘‘The whole of the plumage deep
sooty grey, darkest on the face, wings, and tail; shafts of the primaries and tail-feathers
white; eyes very dark greyish brown, surrounded, except anteriorly, by a beautiful mark
of white: bill jet-black, with a longitudinal line of white along the under mandibles,
this white portion not beimg horny like the rest of the bill, but composed of fleshy
cartilage, which becomes nearly black soon after death; feet white, slightly tinged with
fleshy purple.”

8. Diomedea irrorata.— Capt. Markham, of Arctic renown, was fortunate enough to
discover this new species of Albatross in Callao Bay. ‘The bird is now in the possession
of Mr. Osbert Salvin, and was thus described and named by him in the ‘ Proceedings
of the Zoological Society of London’ of June 15th, 1883 :—‘ Diomedea irrorata, sp.u. Male.
Callao Bay, Peru, December, 1881. This Albatross appears to be quite distinct from any
hitherto known. It appears to come next to D. melanophrys, having the bill similarly
constructed (cf. Coues, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1866, pp. 186, 187), but the bill is much longer and
the bird larger in all its dimensions, except the tail, which is shorter and more rounded.
In coloration, too, there is great difference, the upper back and rump being variegated
with dusky and white instead of pure white, and the abdomen wholly dusky with minute
white freckles.” Doubtless D. irrorata is descended from some well-known members of
the family who, for some reason or other, took up their abode in this tropical part, and
gradually adopted a plumage and structure to suit their new surroundings. The present
stage of the bird is probably of recent date, as in such a thoroughfare as Callao Bay so
large a new species could hardly have existed unobserved for any length of time.

So it would seem that the Diomedeine, as at present known, do not necessarily
represent the whole of the family, and even now the dark-coloured D. nigripes is considered
by many to be a distinct species, and not the young, or a variety, of D. brachyura.
Mr. Swinhoe also names five very black Albatrosses he obtained in China as D. derogata,
making a third species found north of the Line. But I think most of our great
ornithologists consider both mnigripes and derogata the same as brachyura, and I humbly

follow the majority.

CHAPTER. IT.
THE SMALL PETRELS.

‘She swept the seas; and as she skimmed along,
Her flying feet unbathed on billows hung.”

DryprEn.

SAUND so with our tiny little, well-known ocean wanderer, the Stormy Petrel

(Procellaria pelagica); and hence, as referring to the power and habit of

apparently walking on the surface of the water, the name Petrel, which is
common to the whole family, and derived from the Apostle Peter, who walked on the
water. Some years ago Gould and others named the birds described in this Chapter
Thalassidroma (arasca and dpouss), aS descriptive of birds “running” in the “sea.” But of
late this has been abandoned; and I have now only coupled them together, as being
to the sailor simply ‘‘ Mother Carey’s Chickens,’ a name said to have been bestowed
upon them by Captain Carteret’s sailors, but for what reason does not appear to be
known. I have heard that it means the ‘‘ Mother carries her Chickens,’ from the fact
of her being so continually on the wing; but this we must all allow is rather far-fetched.
Indeed the name seems wrapped in mystery.

The Stormy Petrel is the smallest web-footed bird known. Gould says, ‘‘ Assuming
that the Great Albatross usually weighs about fifteen pounds, and the Storm Petrel an
ounce, the former is 240 times as heavy as the latter.” The meaning of pelagica is “ of
or belonging to the sea,’ and Procellaria (of which this bird is now. the recognised type),
from procella, “a storm”; both of which terms are truly applicable to this little wanderer,
who is to be met with in nearly every sea in the Northern Hemisphere, and equally at
home in any weather. He is thus described by Yarrell:—‘‘ The bill is black; the irides
dark brown; head, neck, back, wings, and tail sooty-black; outer edges of tertials white ;
upper tail-coverts white; chin, throat, breast, belly, and under tail-coverts sooty-black ;
legs, toes, and membranes black. The whole length of the bird not quite six inches;

the wing, from the bend, four inches and five-eighths. The young bird, till twelve

18 PROCELLARIIDA.

months old, is not quite so dark in colour; edges of wing-coverts rusty brown, and no
white on the margins of the tertials.”’

The Stormy Petrel is common all round the shores of Great Britain, though rarely
seen except by sailors. Occasionally, however, they are driven in shore by heavy gales
of wind, and picked up in a miserably exhausted condition. Dresser says :—‘ This
inhabitant of the ocean, appearing only to occur about the land during the breeding season
and when driven in by stress of weather, has a tolerably extensive range, being found
throughout the Atlantic Ocean, and having also been met with on the east coast of Africa.”

In the winter of 1882 I saw the specimen from which Plate IV. is painted, feebly flapping
along the Thames off Greenwich Pier, and with the aid of a waterman succeeded in capturing
it.* The poor little thing lived some days by sucking its feathers, which I had plentifully
besprinkled with oil, but finally suaceumbed, and is now in my collection of British birds.

That charming naturalist Charles Waterton says, in his explanatory index, that the
Stormy Petrel is ‘‘too well known to need description.” He, however, proves the fallacy
of this off-hand treatment of the subject by mentioning, in his ‘ Wanderings,’ that it is
only seen when a heavy gale is blowing, and that ‘“‘ when the storm is over it appears no
more.” Now, though no bird is more thoroughly at home in bad weather than a “ Mother
Carey,” yet it is by no means consistent with facts to say it is only seen then. Indeed
at sea the opposite is rather the case, for in rough weather the Crustacea and Mollusca,
and other minute organisms, upon which the birds feed, are brought to the surface by
the action of the waves.

Now this friendly office of turning up food is also performed by the moving ship,
especially in the case of a paddle or screw, and naturally more appreciated when the
sea is smooth, and there is no other way of obtaining these submerged delicacies. It is
also then that the host of eagerly following birds are so keenly on the look-out for
all scraps and refuse that are thrown them, or fall from the ship itself. When a vessel
is becalmed or at anchor I have seen them settle in flocks alongside, prepared for a
regular square meal off anything they can get. Referring to their rapacity, Yarrell
says :—‘‘On examining the inside of a Stormy Petrel, Mr. Couch found about half an
inch of a common tallow candle, of a size so disproportionate to the bill and throat of
the bird that it seemed wondeful how it could have been able to swallow it.” Thus, then,
it stands to reason the finer the weather the more dependent are the birds on the

inventions of man for their daily food, and consequently the more seen by them. I am

* In March, 1886, the same Greenwich waterman handed me a live Red-legged Partridge that he found swimming
about off the pier.

PROCELLARIID. 19

therefore, with all modesty, compelled to disagree with Waterton, and all who affirm that
this little Petrel is only found in stormy weather.

There is, however, no denying the fact that by many mariners the Stormy Petrel
is considered the sure harbinger of storms and calamities, and by such looked upon as
a bird of ill-omen. Thus the name of Stormy Petrel, or ‘Stormfogel’’ of Northern
Kurope; and Procellaria, from procella, ‘a storm.”

Especially was this the case in the old superstitious days, when, in addition, the birds
were looked upon as a sort of repository for the souls of departed seamen, giving to them
a knowledge on storm-lore unattainable by other birds, but considered of so ghostly a

character that no practical use appears to have been made of it by the sailor.

‘‘Outflying the blast and the drifting rain,
The Petrel telleth her tale in vain;
For the mariner curseth the warning bird
Who bringeth him news of the storms unheard.”’
Barry Cornwatu.
Now doubtless the manner of all birds will foretell the coming storm to those able
to read the signs aright; for as Davenport Adam says :—

‘‘From birds, in sailing, men instruction take ;
Now lie in port, now sail and profit make.”

’

And amongst them must, of course, be included the ‘‘ Mother Carey ;” but surely nothing
uncanny should be attributed to this the most vivacious, the most contented little bird on
the whole wide ocean. Food, weather, and general surroundings may be as contrary to
their natural tastes as possible, but they will appear as cheery as ever.

This contented disposition struck me most forcibly in the poor little half-starved
specimen I caught at Greenwich. Imagine it prostrate on flannel, thoroughly exhausted,

,

and dripping with oil (what an insult to a ‘Mother Carey,” who gives us the purest oil
imaginable); and yet there it lay sucking the make-shift off its feathers without so much
as a grimace, and between whiles singing a sweet little warble, suggestive of the purring
of a well-fed petted tabby. How easily pleased; Mark Tapley himself could not have
behaved in a more exemplary manner.

I feel sure that in their own bird-world they never grumble; and this in itself,
by-the-bye, should for ever free them from the imputation of being possessed of the souls
of departed sailors; for who ever heard of a Jack Tar that did not occasionally indulge

in a growl—a sailor’s privilege all the world over. And how our little friendly Petrel

loves a game: who has not seen them at sea racing the skipjacks for the pure fun of
F

20 OCEAN BIRDS.

the thing, apparently playing a sort of ‘“‘ touched you last” with the astonished fish! Let
us, then, dismiss all superstitions detrimental to them from our minds; and rather be it
our pleasure to minutely study the birds, and thereby interpret for our own benefit such
prophetic signs as their habits may be capable of givmg us. Wilson says on the
subject :—‘‘ As well might they curse the midnight lighthouse that, star-like, guides them
on their watery way, or the buoy that warns them of the sunken rock below, as this
homeless wanderer, whose manner informs them of the approach of the storm, and
thereby enables them to prepare for it.” Happily, however, they are comparatively safe
when following a ship at sea. Be it from love or be it from fear, the result to them
is the same; most sailors will protect the ‘“‘ Mother Carey’s Chicken.”

I well remember some years ago seeing a quartermaster leave his wheel, and
forcibly take the line out of a passenger’s hand to free a little ‘‘ Mother Carey” entangled
therem. J knew the sailor well; and waves running mountains high, threatening to
engulf him and poop the ship, would not have induced him to leave the helm, for a
first-rate sailor was he. ‘Taciturn and respectful, too, and by no means given to insulting
passengers; but this enormity carried out before his very eyes was more than he could
stand. The Captain soon heard of it, but wisely considered it a misdemeanour best
ignored, and at the same time, with much tact, smoothed down the ruffled feelings
of the indignant fisherman. To those, then, anxious for specimens, and on board vessels
where such feelings exist, I would say do your fishing at night, or unobserved, and
by this means you will avoid openly wounding the susceptibilities of any sensitive or
superstitious mariner.

I was fortunate in one voyage in being the possessor of a stern cabin, and many is
the ‘“‘Mother Carey” I have hauled in at the port to keep as a specimen, or examine
and let fly again, as they are not in the slightest degree injured by the process. All the
gear required is thread with a cork at the end, rounded so as to avoid any jerky strain
from the waves. To obtain the right shape, partially burn the cork that you have
already cut into the appearance of a large marble, and then rub it round and round in
your hands. The birds fly against the line and entangle themselves. I have invariably
found you could catch twice as many fishing at night; sometimes, of course, a Cape
Pigeon or other large Petrel carries away all your gear, but that is soon rectified.
Dr. Coppinger, in his ‘Cruise of the Alert,’ makes a strong point of the fact to prove they
are on the wing all night.

On shore the treatment of these charming little birds is of a very common-place

order. Morris tells us that the inhabitants of the Ferroe and other islands use them for

PROCELLARIIDA. 21

lamps. A wick of cotton or other material is drawn through the body, which when lighted
continues to burn till the oil in the body is consumed. In these same islands they are
often caught (and afterwards released) for the sake of the valuable oil, which, like all the
Petrels, they vomit on being handled.

The Stormy Petrel is noted as being the latest layer all round our shores. It makes
a nest of débris in any hole on the ground, where it deposits one white oval egg,
about an inch long.

The Rev. J. G. Wood says: —‘‘ Who would think, on inspecting a specimen of the
well-known Stormy Petrel, that it was able to dig into the ground, and form the burrow
in which it makes its nest? Such, however, is the case; and the pretty little traverser
of the ocean shows itself to be as accomplished in excavating the ground as it is in flitting
over the waves, with its curious mixture of flight and running. If the Stormy Petrel can
find a burrow already dug it will make use of it, and accordingly is fond of haunting rocky
coasts, and of depositing its eggs in some suitable clefts. It also will settle mm a deserted
rabbit-burrow, if it can find one sufficiently near the sea; and is found breeding in many
places which would equally suit the Puffin. Failing, however, all natural or ready-made
cavities, the Stormy Petrel is obliged to excavate a tunnel for itself, and even on sandy
ground is able to make its own domicile. Off Cape Sable, in Nova Scotia, there are
many low-lying islands, the upper parts of which are of a sandy nature, and the lower
composed chiefly of mud. Nota hope is there in such existing localities of already existing
cavities, and yet to those islands the Petrels resort by thousands, for the purpose of
breeding. The birds set resolutely to work, and delve little burrows into the sandy
soil, seldom digging deeper than a foot, and in fact only making the cavity sufficiently
large to conceal themselves and their treasure. Each bird lays a single egg, which is
white, and of small dimensions. The young are funny-looking objects, and resemble puffs
of white down rather than nestlings. The parent attends to its young with great assiduity,
feeding it with the oleaginous fluid which is secreted in such quantities by the digestive

organs of this bird.”

Wison’s Storm PrErreL (Oceanites oceanicus)— This is the commonest of the ocean
“Mother Careys,” and is met with in equal numbers on both sides of the Equator. In
the voyage to Australia we should take them with us from the Land’s End to the Tropics,
and again from the south side of the Tropics all the way to Australia. Gould says it is
the only Petrel found on both sides of the line. In size and appearance it is much like

the Stormy Petrel, but is slightly larger and leggier. Dr. Coppinger, in the ‘Cruise of

22 OCEAN BIRDS.

the Alert,’ remarks that in the Pacific the Storm Petrels are in the habit of kicking the
water with one leg while skimming the surface in search of food. This we have doubtless
all observed. He then goes on to say that the Atlantic Storm Petrels ‘‘ steady themselves

’

on the water with both legs together,” instead of giving this one-legged kick. Perhaps
the interpretation of this is that they are two different birds, the Pacifte Storm Petrel
being Wilson’s Storm Petrel, and the Atlantic the common Stormy Petrel. It is almost
impossible to tell them apart, at any distance from the ship; but, having the bird in your
hand, it is as impossible to confuse them together, from the fact of Wilson’s having
yellow patches on the webs of the feet. The bird is thus defined by Yarrell:—‘‘ The
bill is black; the irides dark brown; the head, neck, back, wing-primaries, and the tail-
feathers dark brownish black; greater wing-coverts and the secondaries dark rusty brown,
lighter in colour near the end, with the extreme edges and tips white; upper tail-coverts
white; chin, throat, breast, and all the under parts sooty black, except some of the under
tail-coverts, which are tipped with white; legs long and slender, with the toes and their
membranes black, but with an oblong greyish yellow patch upon each web.’ In Ornithology
this bird is the only representative of the genus Oceanites. Some collectors mention the
under tail-coverts black instead of white-tipped. My specimens have them quite white,

and Gould colours them so in his ‘ Birds of Australia.’

Tae Forxep-taitep Perret (Cymochorea leucorrhoa).—All ‘Mother Careys” remind me
of Swallows, but this one particularly, by reason of its forked tail, by which it is always
to be recognised. Describing this bird Audubon says :—‘‘ The species of this genus, with
which I am acquainted, all ramble over the seas, both by night and by day, until the
breeding-season commences; then they remain in their burrows, under rocks, or in their
fissures, until towards sunset, when they start off in search of food, returning to their
mates or young in the morning, and then feeding them. When you pass close to the
rocks in which they are you can easily hear their shrill, querulous notes; but the report
of a gun silences them at once, and induces those on the ledges to betake themselves
to their holes. The Forked-tailed Petrel emits its notes night and day, and at not very
long intervals, although it is less noisy than Wilson’s Petrel. They resemble the syllables
‘peur-wit,’ ‘peur-wit.’ Its flight differs from that of the other two species, it being
performed in broader wheelings, and with firmer flappings. It is more shy than the
other species; and when it wheels off, after having approached the stern of a ship, its
wanderings are much more extended before it returns. I have never seen it fly close

around a vessel as the others are in the habit of doing, especially at the approach of

PROCELLARIUD. 23

night; nor do I think that it ever alights on the rigging of ships, but spends the hours
of darkness either on the water or on low rocks or islands. It also less frequently
alishts on the water or pats it with its feet; probably on account of the shortness of
its legs, although it frequently allows them to hang down. In this it resembles the Storm
Petrel, and Wilson’s Petrel has a similar habit during calm weather. JI have seen all
the three species immerse their heads into the water to seize their food, and sometimes
keep it longer under than I had expected. The Forked-tailed Petrel, like the other
species, feeds chiefly on floating Mollusca, small fishes, Crustacea, which they pick up
among the floating sea-weeds, and greasy substances, which they occasionally find around
fishing-boats or ships out at sea. When seized in the hand it ejects an oily fluid through
the tubular nostrils, and sometimes disgorges a quantity of food. I could not prevail on
any of those which I had caught to take food.” Dresser says:—‘ This bird, so essentially
a bird of the ocean, has, as may be supposed, a tolerably extensive range, being found
in the Atlantic from St. Kilda and the coast of Labrador, southward on the American
coast to Washington, and on our side to Madeira.” The bird is thus described by
Yarrell:—‘‘The bill is black; the irides dark brown; the head, neck, and back sooty
black, the back rather the darkest in colour; wing-coverts rusty brown; the tertials tipped
with white; upper tail-coverts white; primaries and tail-feathers black; the tail forked,
the outer feathers being half an inch longer than those in the middle; breast sooty black;
behind each thigh and extending to lateral under tail-coverts an elongated patch of
white; the middle under tail-coverts sooty black. The whole length of my bird, seven
inches and a quarter; from the anterior bend of the wing to the end, six inches. The

sexes in plumage are alike.”’

Butwer’s Perret (Bulweria columbina).—On the Australian voyage this Petrel may be
looked for about Madeira and the adjacent western coast of Africa. Dresser says :—‘‘ The
present species is restricted entirely to the Atlantic Ocean, being met with chiefly on or
near the Canaries and Madeira.”’ It is thus described by Yarrell:—‘‘ The bill is black;
the irides nearly so; the whole of the plumage almost sooty black, rather paler on the
edges of the great wing-coverts; tail rounded; legs and toes dark reddish brown, the
interdigital membranes dark brown. The whole length, from the point of the beak to the

end of the tail, ten inches.and a half.”

Wurrr-racep Storm Prrren (Oceanodroma marina).— Thus described by Gould :—
“Forehead, face, line over the eye, and all the under surface pure white; crown and

G

24 OCEAN BIRDS.

nape, a broad patch beneath the eye, and the ear-coverts, slate-colour; sides of the chest,
back of the neck, and upper part of the back, dark grey, gradually passing into the dark
brown of the back and wings; upper tail-coverts light grey; primaries and tail black;
irides dark reddish brown; legs and feet black; webs yellow.’’ In the ‘Proceedings of
the Zoological Society’ for 1878 (p. 736), Mr. Salvin, describing some specimens, says :—
“Nightingale Island. Eyes black; a night-bird. These were taken out of holes in the

ground during the day by help of the dogs.”

Buack-BELLIED Storm Perret (Fregeta melanogaster). — Thus described by Gould :—
“All the plumage deep sooty black, with the exception of the upper tail-coverts and
flanks, which are snow-white ; bill, legs and feet black.” In the voyage of H.M.S.
‘Challenger’ one was observed in Betsy Cove, Kerguelen; and in Lord Lindsey’s Expedition

Mr. Saunders mentions their being caught in lat. 36° 57’ S., long. 40° 41’ EK.

WHITE-BELLIED Storm Perren (Fregeta leucogaster).—Thus described by Gould :—‘ Head
and neck deep sooty black; back greyish black, each feather margined with white;
wings and tail black; chest, all the under surface, and the upper tail-coverts white; bill
and feet jet-black.” Thus described by Mr. Salvin in his report on the collection of
H.M.S. ‘Challenger’:—‘‘ Eyes brown. Shot in the South Pacific, 11th November, 1875,
at sea. Their stomachs were filled with a yellow oil, and mixed with it some pieces of
Crustacea.”

GREY-BACKED Storm Perret (Garodia Nereis)—Thus described by Gould :—‘ Head, neck,
and chest sooty grey; lower part of the wing-coverts, back, and upper tail-coverts grey,
each feather very slightly margined with white; wings greyish black; tail grey, broadly
tipped with black; under surface pure white; irides, bill, and feet black.’ In the
Proc. Zool. Soc. for 1840, p. 178, he also says:—‘‘ Total length, six inches and a half;
bill, nine-sixteenths of an inch; wing, five inches and a quarter; tail, two inches and
a half; tarsi, one inch and a quarter. Hab.— Bass’s Straits, on the south coast of
Australia. This beautiful fairy-like Storm Petrel is about the size of Wilsoni, and is
remarkable as differmg from most of the members of the group in having no white on
the rump and in the pure white of the under surface.” In March, 1858, a dead specimen
was picked up in the Falkland Islands.

25

CHAPTER III.
OTHER SPECIES OF PETREL.

“Up and down! Up and down!
From the base of the wave to the billow’s crown,
And amidst the flashing and feathery foam
The daring Petrel finds a home,—
A home, if such a place may be,
For her who lives on the wide, wide sea,
On the craggy ice, in the frozen air,
And only seeketh her rocky lair
To warn her young, and to teach them spring
At once o’er the waves on their stormy wing!”

Barry CoRNWALL.

In the two preceding Chapters all the smallest, and with one exception the largest,
Petrels have been dealt with. This third Chapter will comprise all the remainder that

we should be likely to fall in with on the Australian voyage.

Tue Giant Perret (Ossifraga gigantea), of the genus Ossifraga, and the only species known,
is a familiar bird to all traversers of the Southern Seas. As the name implies, it is a bird of
huge proportions, equalling in general dimensions the smaller Albatrosses, and, as Prof. Huxley
says, ‘‘holds a sort of middle place between the Gulls and the Albatrosses.” Its nom de mer is
‘Nelly,’ applied to either sex; it is also called Leopard-bird, or Leopard Albatross. It is often
considered an Albatross both at sea and on land; but the curiously built-up beak, with nostrils
encased in one sheath (instead of on either side), should at once show it to be no Diomedea.
The flight of this great Petrel is, moreover, inferior to that of the Albatross family, having
considerably more of the flapping land-bird style about it, by which it can always be recognised
at a distance. ‘This inferiority, however, is only by comparison, as I have often noticed a
particular specimen follow the ship for days together, and then only leave by reason of its being
caught with hook and line. If they are on the feed, this is easily accomplished with your
Albatross fishing-gear; and I have frequently caught two or three in a day, though, as a rule,
they are shyer than the Diomedea. I caught the specimen from which Fig. 5 was copied

26 OCEAN BIRDS.

in lat. 42:05° S., long. 123°41° E., and it measured eight feet across the wings. The Giant
Petrel is extremely powerful, and also excessively fierce and predacious—a combination most
disastrous to the smaller Petrel tribe, off whom it loves to make a meal. The very name of
Ossifraga (Breakbones) has a fearfully carnivorous ring about it, and indeed there is no doubt
that any fish, flesh, or fowl of moderate dimensions becomes an acceptable addition to the daily
meal of this gigantic Petrel. Supposing it to be the fact that a so-called Albatross has been
seen to attack a man in the water, I should imagine that the Diomedea tribe was unjustly
suffering for the sins of a bad-tempered or half-starved Ossifraga. In Gould’s ‘Birds of
Australia’ the following account appears, quoted from ‘The Ibis’ for 1865 :—** Capt. F. W.
Hutton states that the bird (Giant Petrel) breeds in the cliffs of Prince Edward Islands
and Kerguelen’s Land, but the nest can be got at occasionally. The young are at first
covered with a beautiful long light grey down; when fledged they are dark brown, mottled
with white. When a person approaches the nest the old birds keep a short distance away,
while the young ones squirt a horridly smelling oil out of their mouths to the distance of
six or eight feet. It is very voracious, hovering over the sealers when engaged cutting
up a Seal, and devouring the carcase the moment it is left, which the Albatross never
does. It sometimes chases the smaller species, but whether or not it can catch birds
possessed apparently of powers of flight superior to its own is doubtful; but, supposing
one killed, that it feeds only on its heart and liver I cannot believe; yet it is said to
do so in the words of many ornithologists.” Gould says Capt. Cook found it very abundant
on Christmas Island, Kerguelen’s Land, and so tame that the sailors knocked them down
with sticks. The entire plumage of the adult bird is chocolate-brown; bill pale straw-
colour; irides and legs dark brown. In immature plumage they are spotted with white—
hence the name ‘“Leopard-bird.””. The pure white (albino) varieties are by no means
uncommon. There is an excellent specimen in the Natural History Museum; also a
very pale buff-coloured one, besides the usual chocolate-coloured bird. Mr. H. Saunders,
on the sea-birds collected by Lord Lindsay’s Expedition, says :—‘‘ Ossifraga gigantea, ‘ Cape-
hen’ (sic), No. 50, male, Sept. 10th, lat. 34° S., long. 10° 42’ W. Beak pale apple-green,
much darker at the tip; iris dark brown; feet sooty black.” No. 52, Sept. 14th. “Beak
greyish green, darker at tip; iris dark brown; feet silvery brown; spread of wing, six feet
seven inches.” In 1885 I received a letter from Mr. Jamrach, stating that he had
deposited a species of Albatross in the Zoological Gardens; on hastening to see this
wonderful addition to their aviaries I found a fine specimen of the Giant Petrel, though
going by the name of Short-tailed Albatross. It only stayed a few days, as arrangements
had been made for sending it to Paris. It appeared in good health, and fed voraciously

PROCELLARIID As. 27

off fresh herrings. This is, I think, the only specimen that has reached this country
alive. I sent the following short notice of the event to the ‘Times,’ which appeared
June 8th, 1885 :—

AN ACQUISITION TO THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.

Sir,—I received a letter the other day from Mr. A. H. Jamrach, the well-known naturalist dealer,
saying he had deposited a live Albatross in the Zoological Gardens. On receipt of this startling news
I hastened off at once to inspect.

I think, however, I am right in saying that the bird is not an Albatross (Diomedea), but the
Giant Petrel (Ossifraga gigantea), well known at sea, but unquestionably a rara avis in these climes,
indeed quite as much so as the true Albatross. In size and extent of wing they are about the same
as the smaller species of Diomedea, but in no way approach the great Wandering Albatross (Diomedea
exulans), with its enormous spread of eleven feet from tip to tip. Their flight is much the same, but
this Petrel has more of the land-bird flap about it, by which it can be recognised at a great distance.

This new arrival appears fairly well, and fed heartily off some fresh herrings; but I cannot
help thinking it would thrive far better in the fine open aviary opposite its present cage, and there
would be no fear of its escaping from such an enclosure. They are often kept for days together on
board ship, and are quite unable to fly, unless taken up and launched into mid-air off the rail.

I am your obedient servant,
Blackwall Yard. JOS. F. GREEN.

The word ‘ Ossifrage” (Heb. peres, yout, gryps) occurs twice in Holy Scripture, as a bird
that may not be eaten: in Lev. xi. 13, and in the parallel passage in Deut. xiv. 12; but
it is not probable that this particular bird was meant. In the new version the word is

omitted altogether.

Great Grey Perret (Adamastor cinerea).—This bird (well known at sea as the Cape Dove)
is sometimes called the Capped Petrel. It is a combination of Procellaria and Puffinus, and is
one of the Southern Seas representatives of the well-known Shearwater family. On my sending
up a specimen that I had caught off the Cape to one of the very greatest and most obliging of
our ornithological authorities, he defined it as a true Puffinus and a very rare species (Puffinus
gelidus). This was perplexing, as I have caught any number of them at sea; so I took the bird
up to Mr. Salvin, the great Petrel authority, and he at once classed it as above. It is very
common off both the Capes, and is easily caught with a roach-hook (or, better still, a small trio
hook off a spinning bait) on a light line. From measurements in my book I find the beak is
two inches long; wing from anterior bend, twelve inches and a half; length of body, fifteen
inches. It is thus summed up by Gould in his ‘ Birds of Australia’:—‘ Little or no difference
is observable in the sexes, but the female is rather smaller than the male; neither did
I observe any of the individuals that surrounded the ship to be of a darker colour. In all
probability the young attain their normal colouring at the first moult. I quite agree with

Oi

28 OCEAN BIRDS.

Capt. Hutton in considering this bird to be allied to the members of the genus Pufinus.
Crown of the head, ear-coverts, nape and upper surface, tips of the tail-feathers, tips of the
under tail-coverts, and the primaries, dark brownish grey; throat, chest, and under surface,
white ; irides dark brown; culmen and nostrils black; tip of the upper mandible blackish
horn-colour; tomia whitish horn-colour; lower part of the under mandible blackish horn-
colour; feet white, tinged with blue, the outer toe brownish black.’’ There is a remarkable
likeness between this bird and the Greater Shearwater (Puffinus major) of our own latitudes.
Seebohm tells us a Great Grey Petrel was caught at Swaffham,* in Norfolk, in 1850.
Mr. Salvin, on the Procellariide collected by H.M.S. ‘Challenger’ (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1878,
p- 787), says :—‘‘ Adanastor cinereus (565 female; 566 male), South Pacific, 5th Nov. 1875.
Eyes hazel; feet flesh-colour; the stomach of one was full of the beaks of cuttlefish ; stuff
from the ship in the other, and small Crustacea.’ In Lord Lindsay’s Expedition Mr. Saunders
calls it ‘‘ Whale-bird.” I have often noticed that different ships have different ‘sailors’ names”’

for sea-birds. In the same way Mr. Saunders calls the Giant Petrel ‘‘ Cape Hen.”

SinveryY-GREY Prtret (Vhalassoica glacialoides)—This bird, of the genus Fulmarus, is
almost invariably called at sea the Fulmar Petrel, though as a fact the Fulmar Petrel
(Procellaria glacialis) does not appear south of the line. Certainly they are much alike,
but the bill in my specimen is longer and thinner than that of the Fulmar. Its wings
also are longer, and its body lighter. It is, in fact, the southern-seas type of our Fulmar
Petrel, and so somewhat differently constituted in order to meet its somewhat different life.
They are easily taken with hook and line in the ordinary seafaring fashion. The one now in
my collection I caught in lat. 42°48° §., long. 59-48° E., and its dimensions are as follows :—
Beak, one inch and seven-eighths long; wing from anterior bend, thirteen inches and a half;
length of body, fifteen inches. The general characteristics of the bird are thus defined by
Gould :—‘ All the upper surface and tail delicate silvery grey; outer webs, shafts, a line along
the inner webs and the tips of the primaries, and the outer webs of secondaries, slaty-black ;
face and all the under surface, pure silky-white; irides brownish black; nostrils, culmen,
and a portion of the base of the upper mandibles, bluish lead-colour; tips of both
mandibles fleshy horn-colour, deepening into black at their points; remainder of the
bill pinky flesh-colour; legs and feet grey, washed with pink on the tarsi, and blotched
with slaty-black on the joints.” In the voyage of H.M.S. ‘Challenger’ they were met
with in the Ice Barrier.

** A marvellous part of the country for rare birds. In 1885 I received from Mr. John Penn, for my collection of British

birds, a White-tailed Eagle and a Montagu’s Harrier, shot by his keeper close to Swaffham; also seven different species
of duck.—J. F. G.

PROCELLARIUDA. 29

Purmar Perret (fulmarus glacialis)—Another Fulmarus, and the largest of our British
Petrels. It is a rare winter visitant to England, but common in some parts of Scotland. It is
well known to all Arctic explorers, and will follow their ship to the highest latitudes, especially
if they are whale-fishers. In fact, like 7’. glacialoides, they are particularly at home in the ice,
. frequenting the Arctic regions, like their cousins do the Antarctic. On the voyage to Australia
it would probably only be seen in the Hnglish Channel. It is thus described by Yarrell
(‘ British Birds,’ vol. iii.):—‘‘ In the adult bird the curved point of the bill is yellow, the sides
horny white, the superior ridge investing the nostrils greyish-white ; irides straw-yellow ; the
whole head and the neck all round, pure white; the back, all the wing-coverts, secondaries,
tertials, upper tail-coverts, and tail-feathers, pearl-grey; wing-primaries slate-grey; breast,
belly, and all the under surface of the body, pure white; legs, toes, and their membranes,
brownish yellow; the claws slender, but curved and pointed; whole length, nineteen inches ;

wing from anterior bend, twelve inches; the middle toe and its claw longer than the tarsus.”’

SpecracLeD Petre, (Majaqueus wquinoctialis).—It is a disputed point amongst ornitholo-
gists whether this is the same bird as I. conspicillatus of Gould. Mr. Salvin, in the notes he
kindly gave me, says—‘‘ This is the bird of the Cape Seas, and is doubtfully distinct from
M. conspicillatus of Australia.” In the Natural History Museum they are shown as distinct
species—M. conspicillatus with white spectacles and white throat; and I. wquinoctialis, white
under the throat only, and called Cape Hen. Mr. Saunders also considers them the same. In
his account of the sea-birds collected by Lord Lindsay’s Expedition he says: — ‘The
variations in these specimens are rather peculiar. In all the prevailing colour is sooty black ;
but in the first (spec., No. 56, Sept. 19th, lat. 34° 39’ S., long. 8° 51’ HK.) there is a white patch
of about three-quarters of an inch in length under lower mandible, and an irregular white
streak on the left side, below the line of the gape, but none on the right side; the second
(spec. No. 93, Oct. 20th, lat. 32° S.) has rather more white on the throat; and in the third
(spec. No. 97, male, Oct. 24th, lat. 29° 45'S.) the white extends as far back as a line from the
’ At sea they contest with the Skua Gull the name of Cape Hen, and as their flight, size,
and general appearance are much like that of the Skua, perhaps from afar they were originally
really mistaken one for the other. The Spectacled Petrel is common down south of the line,

especially off such islands as are passed en route for Australia. It is thus described by

eyes.’

Gould :—‘‘ The entire plumage sooty-black, with the exception of the chin, sides of the face,
and a broad band which crosses the fore part of the crown, passes down before and beneath,
and curves upwards behind the eye, which is white; nostrils and sides of the mandibles,
yellowish horn-colour ; culmen, tips of both mandibles, and a groove running along the lower
mandible, black ; irides dark brown.”

30 OCEAN BIRDS.

Great Wineep Perret, ATLAntic Perret, Sovanper’s Perret (Pterodroma fuliginosa).—
Mr. Salvin, in the notes he gave me, has marked all these three as P. fuliginosa.

Capt. Hutton, writing of the Great Winged Petrel, says:—‘‘This bird, when on the
wing, looks very like a huge Swift. It is not by any means common, and I have only
seen it east of the Cape of Good Hope. It is not found on Prince Edward Islands nor
Kerguelen’s Land.”—‘ Ibis,’ 1865, p. 286. Gould says it differs from the Atlantic Petrel
(Pterodroma atlantica) by having longer wings and a greyer face. In the Natural History
Museum it is called Pufinus fuliginosus, and the long wings are very prominent. Gould names
it Pterodroma macroptera.

The Atlantic Petrel goes by the name of Cape Parson at sea—probably because of its
sombre hue. It is probably Astralata carribbaa of the Natural History Museum. Gould
gives its dimensions as follows :—* Total length, fifteen inches and a quarter; bill, one inch
and five-eighths; wing, eleven inches and a half; tail, five inches; tarsi, two inches and
five-eighths ; middle toe and nail, two inches and seven-eighths.” He calls it P. atlantica.

Solander’s Petrel is thus described by Gould:—‘‘ Head, back of neck, shoulders,
primaries, and tail, dark brown; back, wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts, slate-grey, each
feather margined with dark brown; face and all the under surface, brown, washed with grey
on the abdomen; bill, tarsi, toes and membranes, black. Total length, sixteen inches; bill, one
inch and three-quarters ; wing, twelve inches ; tail, five inches and a half; tarsi, three-quarters

of an inch; middle toe and nail, two inches and three-eighths.” He calls it P. solandri.

WHITE-HEADED Perret (/strelata leucocephala).—Aistrelata is from <distrus, a gadfly, as
applied to the restless flight of this family. They all have the tarsi more or less flesh-coloured.
This bird may be recognised at sea by the sort of white patch the head makes against its
black wings. It is a marvellous flyer by reason of its extraordinary long and arched wings.
It is thus described by Gould:—“ Forehead, face, all the under surface, and tail, white; hinder
part of the head, back of the neck, and upper tail-coverts, grey; back greyish brown ; wings
blackish brown; round and before the eye a mark of black; bill and irides black; tarsi, and
half the toes and webs, flesh-white; the tips of the toes and webs, black.’ There is a fine
specimen in the Natural History Museum, presented by Sir George Grey, where it is called
Aistrelata lessoni. It is a very powerful-looking bird, with a particularly sharp, curved beak, and
looks as if it had been fighting and received a pair of black eyes. In the voyage of H.M.S.
‘Challenger,’ specimens were obtained in Betsy Cove, Kerguelen; and their black eyes were
especially remarked on.

Sorr-Piumacep Petren (/strelata mollis)—Thus described by Gould :—‘‘ The sexes are

similar in colour, but the young differ from the adult in having all the under surface dark grey,

PROCELLARIIDA. 31

and the throat speckled with grey. Crown of the head and all the upper surface, slate-grey ;
the feathers of the forehead margined with white; wings dark brown; before and beneath the
eye a mark of brownish black; face, throat, and all the under surface, pure white, interrupted
by the slate-grey of the upper surface advancing upon the side of the chest, and forming a
faint band across the breast; centre tail-feathers dark grey; outer feathers greyish white,
freckled with dark grey; bill black; tarsi, base of the toes, and basal half of the interdigital
membrane, pale fleshy white, the remainder black. Total length, thirteen inches and a half;
bill, one inch and one-eighth; wing, nine inches and three-quarters ; tail, five inches; tarsi,
one inch and five-eighths ; middle toe and nail, seven-eighths of an inch.” This is probably
Procellaria roulensis of the Natural History Museum. A specimen was obtained by H.M.S.,
‘Challenger’ in Nightingale Island :—‘‘ Eyes hazel; light bird; 17th Oct., 1875.” In Lord
Lindsay’s Expedition, at the Island of Trinadad they knocked them down with sticks.

Wuits-wincep PEetret (/strelata leucoptera).—This bird is thus described by Gould :—
«“The sexes do not differ in external appearance. Crown of the head, all the upper surface,
and wings, dark slaty-black; tail slate-grey ; greater wing-coverts slightly fringed with white ;
face, throat, all the under surface, the base of the inner webs of the primaries and secondaries,
and a line along the inner edge of the shoulder, pure white; bill black; tarsus and basal half
of the interdigital membrane, fleshy-white ; remainder of the toes and interdigital membrane,
black. Total length, thirteen inches; bill, one inch and five lines; wing, eight inches and a
half; tail, four inches; tarsi, one inch and one-eighth; middle toe and nail, one inch and
three-eighths.”’

Coor’s PetreL (dstrelata Cooki).—Thus described by Mr. Gray, in Gould’s ‘ Birds of
Australia ’:—‘‘ Grey above, with the apex of each feather narrowly margined, as well as their
bases, white; oblong spot below each eye, wing-coverts, secondaries, and quills, brownish
black, with the basal portion of the inner webs of the two last white; the front cheeks, under
wing-coverts, and the whole of the under part, white; bill black; tarsi and knee brownish
yellow; feet black, with the intermediate webs yellow. Total length, twelve inches and a half;
bill, length one inch and seven lines, depth in middle three lines and a half; wings, two
inches and a quarter; tarsi, one inch and two lines.” A specimen in the Natural History

Museum, called Procellaria Cooki, is well shown with its wings partly extended.

Buve Perret (Halobena cerulea). — Gould says,—‘‘ This bird may be distinguished from
every other of the smaller Petrels by the conspicuous white tips of the centre tail-feathers.”
He thus describes it :—‘‘ Forehead, lores, cheeks, throat, centre of the chest, and all the under
surface, white; narrow space beneath the eye, shoulders, and the outer webs of the first

I

32 OCEAN BIRDS.

primaries, deep brownish black; back of the neck, side of the chest, back, wings, and tail,
grey; the secondaries, scapularies, and six middle tail-feathers, tipped with white; the two
outer tail-feathers almost wholly white, and the shafts of all black; bill dull blackish brown,
with a stripe of blue-grey along the lower part of the under mandible; tarsi and toes, delicate
blue; interdigital membrane flesh-white, traversed by red veins.” In the Natural History
Museum it is called the Square-tailed Blue Petrel (Halobena caerulea). It is constantly confused

at sea with Prion inetur, and consequently generally misnamed ‘‘ Whale-bird.”

WEDGE-TAILED PetrEL (Thiellus sphenurus).— In the Natural History Museum this bird is
represented by a specimen marked P.. chlororhynchus. It is thus described by Gould :—
‘All the upper surface dark chocolate-brown, which gradually deepens into black on the
primaries and tail; feathers of the scapularies, which are very broad in form, washed with
lighter brown at their tips; face and throat, dark brownish grey; the remainder of the under
surface greyish brown ; bill reddish fleshy-brown, darker on the culmen and tip; legs and feet,
yellowish flesh-colour. Total length, fifteen inches and a half; bill, one inch and five-eighths ;
wing, eleven inches and a half; tail, six inches; tarsi, one inch and seven-eighths; middle

toe and nail, two inches and three-eighths.”’

Care Perret (Daption capensis).—This charming little Petrel abounds in all the temperate
latitudes of the Southern Seas, and is universally known by the name of Cape Pigeon. The
first I ever saw was very many years ago, and as far north as lat. 11:22°S. For days he
followed us, defying our efforts to capture him. When on the feed though (as for instance,
after a ‘‘Cape blow,” when all sea-birds are ravenous), they can be caught in any number;
and I remember once a sailor catching four in his hand, so tame and venturesome had they
become. I think it is Lord Pembroke, in the ‘Earl and the Doctor,’ that describes Cape
Pigeon-fishing by a sort of rule-of-three sum. As Cape Pigeon-fishing is to Albatross-fishing,
so is Trout-fishing to Salmon-fishing—a red quill on a hair-line, instead of a jock-scot on
treble-gut, but the modus operandi the same. I always found the very best hooks you can have
for all these smaller Petrels are the trio, and the smallest you can get; so I strongly advise
those about to take a voyage (and interested in this kind of sport) to take plenty of them, from
the largest size down to the very smallest. Of course you must cover each of the three barbs
with bait, as in Albatross-fishing. Dr. Coppinger was much surprised to see them ‘“ dive
bodily down, apparently without the least inconvenience,” trying to get some submerged
morsels of food. Ihave often had them take a bait like this, and get hooked too. He also
says, ‘‘A freshly-caught Cape Pigeon, placed on its legs on the deck, seems to forget utterly

PROCELLARIDE. 33

that it possesses the power of flight, and does not even attempt to use its wings, but waddles
about like an old farmyard duck.” Like the Albatross, these birds when once attached to a
ship seldom leave, if unmolested, until land, or some other vessel, attracts them. I remember
a red one (probably caught, painted, and let fly again by some wag) following us for days
and days together, and then deliberately deserting us for a homeward-bounder. We were
nearing port, and the new ship was leaving it; hence the desertion. The wing makes a very
pretty hat-feather for a young lady, which, I am told, often acts as a powerful incentive to the
Cape Pigeon fishermen. The bird is thus described by Gould :—‘‘ Head, chin, back and sides
of neck, upper part of the back, lesser wing-coverts, edge of the under surface of the wing, and
the primaries, sooty-brown; wing-coverts, back, and upper tail-coverts, white, each feather
tipped with sooty-brown ; basal half of the tail white; apical half sooty-brown; under surface
white; the under tail-coverts tipped with sooty-brown; beneath the eye a small streak of
white; bill blackish brown; irides and feet very dark brown.” ‘There are three specimens in
the Natural History Museum, showing well the great variation in the markings of the plumage.
It is there named the Pintado Petrel. Seebohm, in his new ‘British Birds,’ says a Cape
Pigeon was shot near Dublin in 1881. In the collection of H.M.S. ‘Challenger’ one was
obtained in the Ice Barrier, 14th January, 1874.

Dove-LikE Prion (Prion turtwr, Gould).—All the Prions are remarkable for their broad
bills, which is especially noticeable in the males. This beautiful little bird is well known
at sea as the ‘‘ Whale-bird,’ and is so called from its curious broad laminated bill,
furnished, like the Right Whale, for feeding on the tiny Meduse. JI remember at sea we
used to look out for them about the neighbourhood of Tristan-da-Cunha, where they
generally appear in flocks. Sometimes, however, they go singly, thereby differing from
the Fairy Prion or Ice-bird. I once caught one off the Cape that got entangled in a
Mother-Carey line. It is thus described by Gould:—* All the upper surface delicate blue-
grey; the edge of the shoulders, the scapularies, outer margins of the external primaries,
and the tips of the middle tail-feather, black; small spot before the eye and a stripe
beneath, black; lores, line over, beneath and behind the eye, and all the under surface,
white, stained with blue on the flanks and under tail-coverts; bill light blue, deepening
into black on the sides of the nostrils and at the tip, and with a black line along the
side of the under mandible; irides very dark brown; feet beautiful light blue.” Mr. Salvin
calls both this bird and the Fairy Prion Prion desolatus.

Farry Prion (Prion Ariel, Gould).—This Prion is much smaller than the last, and goes at

sea by the name of Ice-bird, or rather, I might say, Ice-birds, as 1 never remember seeing one

84 OCEAN BIRDS.

by itself; they are always in flocks, sometimes of enormous magnitude. It is a pretty sight to
see them fluttering up and down like a cloud of silver butterflies, and glittering like the
silver tree when its leaves are shaken by the wind. On the voyage to Australia you should
first catch sight of them about 40°S. and 10° E., in the region of Tristran-da-Cunha. It
almost exactly resembles a small P. turtur, only has rather more white about the face, and is
generally of a lighter colour. Gould gives the following dimensions :—‘* Total length, nine
inches; bill, one inch and one-sixteenth ; wing, six inches and three-quarters; tail, three
inches and three-eighths; tarsi, one inch and one-eighth.’’ In the Natural History Museum
it is called the Brown-banded Blue Petrel (Prion desolatus).

Banks’ Prion (Prion Banksii).—Gould describes the bird as very similar to P. turtur, but
of a longer and more elegant form. Mr. Salvin calls both this and the Broad-billed Prion

Prion vittatus.

BroaD-BILLED Prion (Prion vittatus).—Gould says this bird is rather larger than the last
species, and its bill still more dilated. He thus describes it :—‘* All the upper surface delicate
blue-grey ; the edge of the shoulder, the scapularies, outer primaries, and tips of the middle
tail-feathers, black; space surrounding the eyes and the ear-coverts black; lores, line over the
eye, and all the under surface, white, stained with blue on the flanks and under tail-coverts ;
bill light blue, deepening into black on the sides of the nostrils and at the tip, and with a
black line along the side of the under mandibles; irides very dark brown ; feet beautiful light
blue.” There is a good specimen of a male bird in the Natural History Museum which shows
the extraordinary breadth of the bill, while a skeleton alongside shows how small the bird is

when deprived of its feathers.

Snowy Perret (Procellaria nivea).— In the Natural History Museum there is a good
specimen of this Arctic bird, caught on the Antarctic Expedition, in 77° S. It is pure white,
with black bill, black eyes, and yellow legs and feet, about the size of a Cape Pigeon. After a
long series of southerly gales it might be met with round Cape Horn. ‘Two females were
obtained in the Ice Barrier by H.M.S. ‘Challenger’ on the 14th of January, 1874.

Concerning the Petrels called Puffinus, Gould, in his ‘ Birds of Australia,’ says :—‘‘ The
flight of the species of Puffinus differs considerably from that of the Procellaria in being
straighter, and performed close above the surface of the water; it is, moreover, so

exceedingly rapid that Mr. Davies states it cannot be fairly estimated at less than sixty
miles an hour.”’

PROCELLARIIDA. 85

Yarrell thus gives their generic characters: —‘ Bill as long, or longer than the head,
slender; upper mandible compressed and curved towards the point; under mandible also
slender and curved at the point. Nostrils tubular, opening by two separate orifices. Legs of
moderate Jength, tarsi compressed laterally; toes, three in front, rather long, webbed
throughout; hind toe rudimentary. Wings long and pointed, the first quill-feather the
longest.”

The Manx Snearwater (Puffinus anglorum).—‘ This, the common Shearwater that
frequents the coasts of Great Britain, is found throughout the North Atlantic Ocean, not
ranging into the Baltic, but is found in the Mediterranean as far as the Black Sea”’ (Dresser).
On the Australian voyage we should certainly see one or more on our way down Channel. My
specimen is fourteen inches from tip of beak to end of tail; head, back, and wings, black ;

throat, breast, and under surface, white; beak, legs, and feet, blackish yellow.

ALLIED Perret (Puffinus nugax).— This is the Southern Seas representative of our
European Dusky Petrel (Pufinus obscurus) of the Shearwater class. Gould thus describes the
bird :—‘* Crown of the head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail, sooty-black; sides of the
face, throat, and all the under surface, white; bill dark horn-colour; tarsi and toes, greenish
yellow ; webs yellowish orange. Total length, eleven inches; bill. two inches and five-eighths ;
wing, six inches and a half; tail, three inches; tarsi, one inch and a quarter.’’. Both the

Natural History Museum and Mr. Salvin call this bird P. assimilis.

SHort-TaiLbeD Prtrren (Nectris brevicaudus). — This bird is well known at sea as the
Mutton-bird. I have often wondered why; but in the ‘Field’ of January 10th, 1885, I read as
follows :—‘‘ Mutton-birds (Puffinus brevicaudus) are an item of commerce in New Zealand, and
caught and potted in their natural oil in immense numbers.” Hence, then, I suppose the
name. Gould says:—‘‘ The sexes are so much alike that they can only be distinguished by
dissection. The whole of the plumage sooty-brown; the under surface much paler than the
upper; bill blackish-brown, tinged with olive; the under mandible with a longitudinal mark
of vinous grey; irides brownish black; outer side of the tarsi and outer toe, brownish black ;
inner side of the tarsi and two inner toes, vinous grey; webs yellowish flesh-colour, becoming
blackish brown towards the extremity.’ In the Natural History Museum this bird is called

Puffinus brevicaudata.

Fiesuy-Footep Prrren (Nectris carneipes).—Another Puffinus, thus described by Gould :—
“There is no difference in the colouring of the sexes, which may be thus described:
The whole of the plumage chocolate-black; bill fleshy-white; the culmen and tips of the

K

36 OCEAN BIRDS.

mandibles, brown; legs, feet, and membranes, yellowish flesh-colour. Total length, fifteen
inches; bill, one inch and three-quarters ; wing, twelve inches; tail, two inches; middle toe

and nail, two inches and a quarter.”

In Cassell’s ‘Natural History’ the Petrels are divided into three classes :—The Albatross
(Diomedea), the largest of all the family; the true Petrels, with long wings and a hind toe
always present, birds of sustained flight who swim and dive very little; and the Diving
Petrels (Pelecanoides), which have short wings and no hind toe. We have already dealt with
the first two of these classes, and of the third class there is only one species met with on an
Australian voyage, whose great habitat is Kerguelen Island. In the collection of H.M.S.
‘Challenger’ P. garnoti is considered a separate species, but in any case they so resemble
one another that the following description will suffice :—

Divina Perret (Pelecanoides urinatriz).—I first fell in with these wonderful little divers
off the Cape of Good Hope, when on board a homeward-bounder. We were cutting the corner
extra fine, or should not have sighted them, as they never go far from shore. Their
peculiar cry was very noticeable. In Cassell’s ‘Natural History,’ vol. u., p. 208, the Rev. A. E.
Eaton gives the following account of them in Kerguelen Island :—‘“ This bird, as Prof. Wyville
Thompson well observes, has a close general likeness to the Little Auk or Rotche (Mergulus alle)
of the Northern Seas. Both of them have a hurried flight; both of them, while flying, dive
into the sea without any interruption in the action of their wings, and also emerge from beneath
the surface flying; and they both of them swim with the tail rather deep in the water. But
this resemblance does not extend to other particulars of their habits. They had begun to pair
when we reached Kerguelen Island. ‘The first egg was found on the 31st of October. ‘Their
burrows are about as small in diameter as the holes of Bank Martins (Cotyle riparia) or
Kingfishers (Alcedo hispida) ; they are made in dry banks and slopes where the ground is easily
penetrable, and terminate in an enlarged chamber, on whose floor the egg is deposited. There
is no specially-constructed nest. Before the egg is laid both of the parents may be found in
the nest-chamber, and very often be heard moaning in the daytime; but when the females
begin to sit their call is seldom heard, excepting at night, when the male in his flight to and
from the hole and his mate on her nest make a considerable noise. The call resembles
the syllable ‘‘oo,” pronounced with the mouth closed, while a chromatic scale is being
made from E to C in the tenor. This kind of Petrel has much difficulty in taking
flight from ground which is comparatively level ; it is only by running against the wind or by
starting from a lump of Azorella that the birds are able to rise upon the wing if they happen

to alight upon a flat. During my walks on calm nights I used frequently to hear them

PROCELLARIID A. 37

fluttering along the ground in the dark, and (if I had a lantern) easily caught them by
uncovering the light and turning it on them. They flew to light upon H.M.S. ‘Supply’ on
dark nights in October, when there was snow upon the deck.” At the Natural History
Museum in South Kensington there is a small pamphlet to be obtained, called ‘Guide to the -
Index Museum Aves (Birds),’ by Sir Richard Owen. In page 2, describing the anatomy of
birds, he writes :—* The fore pairs of limbs are constructed for the act of flight, and beat as
efficiently the denser element, in the few kinds of birds in which those limbs are limited to the
act of diving; in both they present the form of ‘ wings.’”’ This exactly describes the wings of
the Diving Petrel. Dr. Coppinger, in describing the Falkland Island species, says :—‘‘ The
bill is particularly broad, and of a dark horn-colour; the breast and belly of a dull grey, and
the upper parts black; the tarsi and feet lavender. The body is short and plump, and is
provided with disproportionately short wings.” Speaking of this bird, Darwin says :—‘“ It
offers an example of those extraordinary cases of a bird evidently belonging to one well-marked
family, yet both in its habits and its structure allied to a very distant tribe.’ Gould says, in his
‘ Birds of Australia,’ that ‘‘it possesses none of those vast powers of flight common to the rest of
the Petrels, but has the loss amply compensated for by its powers of diving, which are so great

?

that it is even said to fly under water.” He calls it Pufinwria urinatrix, and thus describes it :—
‘** Head, all the upper surface, wings, and tail, shining black; ear-coverts, sides of the neck,
and flanks, dark grey; all the under surface white; irides very dark greyish brown; base of
the cutting-edge of the upper mandible and a line along the lower edge of the under mandible,
blue-grey ; tarsi and toes beautiful light blue; webs transparent bluish white, tinged with
brown ; naked pouch hanging from the chin nearly black, and, being very thin, lies in folds
like a bat’s wing.”’ This little Petrel completes the Procellariide that we should be likely to
meet with on an Australian voyage; and as the Southern Ocean is facile princeps their great

head-quarters, the list includes a large proportion of the family.

PART II.

PELICANID A.

CuapteR I.—THE FRIGATE-BIRDS (TACHYPETES).
» IL—THE GANNETS (SULA).
» IIl.—THE TROPIC-BIRDS (PHAETON).

/~_ aaa

)

CHAPTER I.

PE ERG ATE BL RDS:

‘Or with a base and boisterous sword enforce
A thievish living on the common road.”

SHAKESPERE.

SHE PELICANID consist of the Pelicans, Cormorants, Darters, Frigate-birds,
Gannets, and Tropic-birds. Out of this remarkably mixed family, only the
= three last are true Ocean Birds. ‘Taking them in their order, first come
the Tea birds, of which genus there are two species.

THe Great FricatTe-sirp (Tachypetes aquilus)—It is a common mistake to suppose
that ‘“‘aquilus” here refers to any similarity that may exist between this bird and the
Eagle. The word is the adjective aquilus, signifying dark-coloured, and is used to
denote the dusky plumage of the male. Tachypetes (from taxis, swift, and zerouc, to fly)
means swift-flymg. This marvellous swift-flying power of the Frigate-bird is the natural
result of a tiny body propelled by wings proportionately larger than any other known
bird. Waterton tells us that the muscles of the breast that work these wonderful wings
are in themselves one quarter the weight of the whole body. Relying on this power, to
get home, it is often met with 1000 miles from shore. Besides its various local names,
this magnificent tropical bird has many English aliases; such as ‘‘ Man-of-War Bird,”
‘“Man-of-War Hawk,” “ Frigate Pelican,” and ‘Great Frigate-bird.”

To mariners the Frigate-bird is especially well known from the fact of its being
always more or less attracted by any passing vessel. As a rule, the chance of obtaining
one of these ocean specimens is small, as they generally fly so high that it would be
difficult even to hit them; much more to shoot them so as to fall on deck, which is a
feat like dropping a rocketting Pheasant in a space the width of a ship’s deck. Once,

however, on board a fine sailing clipper, in lat. 12° 13’ N. and long. 111° 3’ E., I was

42 OCEAN BIRDS.

fortunate enough to succeed. Our chief officer had a pointer as shipmate, and coming on
deck one night I found the dog rigidly pointing at something apparently high aloft; but
as this same attitude was daily taken up for a fly, a pig, or even a swinging block, it by
no means followed that anything out of the common was about. On this occasion the
object of its attentions was a Frigate-bird, poised on a level with the main truck, and
looking for all the world like some huge vampire-bat hovering over the sleeping crew.
An easy shot, but dangerous for the ship’s braces. Luckily the wire cartridge went like
a bullet, and the bird with a broken wing cannoned against the mizen top-gallant sail
and fell on the main deck. It turned out to be a mature female, with the reddish-brown
throat, white breast, and light brown-speckled edging along the upper wing-coverts peculiar
to the sex. From tip to tip of wing it measured six feet one inch. Dr. Bennet says he
has frequently seen a Frigate-bird sweep down on a vane at the mast-head and carry it
off; so possibly this bird was meditating some such outrage on the ship’s property.

With their small and partially webbed feet they are, as may be supposed, but poor
swimmers, and, as their principal food is fish, they subsist to a great extent by plundering
birds more skilful than themselves in the art of fishing. The principal victim to this
aggressive policy is the Gannet, whose dexterously-earned day’s sport I have frequently
seen appropriated by this handsome buccaneer. ver on the look-out, wheeling and
circling high aloft, the Frigate-bird no sooner beholds the successful headlong dive of
the Gannet than he swoops down in hot pursuit to gain possession of the prize. Generally
the fish is meekly dropped, and being caught in mid-air by the pirate is carried triumphantly
away; but sometimes the Gannet resists, and in such cases always comes off victorious.
For though, with its unrivalled flying powers, the Frigate-bird is a masterpiece in the
air, the long delicately curved beak and the flimsy claws are of no real use in actual
warfare. But bounce and swagger, coupled with a somewhat formidable appearance, in
this case as in many another, create a great impression, and birds that could easily hold
their own often submit to be robbed rather than fight. Davenport Adams mentions a case
where a Frigate-bird was pursuing a small Tern to take possession of his day’s fishing,
when a larger bird of a different species interfered and drove away the pirate, and then
flew away on its own affairs, as if conscious of having performed a good deed. Thus it
would seem that the bird-world resent this unnatural behaviour of the Frigate-bird.

Buffon and many old authors depict the Frigate-bird with fully-webbed feet, so
perhaps originally it was furnished to fish for its own livelihood; but lke the Blind Crabs
dwelling in the Caves of Kentucky, that have lost their eyes by disuse, so this bird may

now, from the same reason, have lost the means of gaining an honest living. That the

PELICANIDAL. 43

disastrous effects of disuse are hereditary there is no doubt. As examples, take the
reduced length of wing of the domestic as compared with the wild duck, or the inferior
hearing of the tame as compared with the wild rabbit; and, strangest of all, the fact
mentioned by Mr. Herbert Spencer, who says that if a silkworm is placed on a mulberry
tree it commits the fatal mistake of eating the base of the leaf, thereby cutting through
the stem and precipitating itself, leaf and all, on to the ground, and, when there, is unable
to remount the tree. It would appear that the Frigate-bird is a mild example of this
theory, for certain it is that, though constituted to live on a fish diet, it has now no more
chance of catching fish in the ordinary bright still waters of the Tropics than would a
bungling fly-fisher on an English trout-stream in similar weather. That it has not the
powers necessary for a pirate is equally clear, for if even the small but sharp-billed Tern
determined to fight it would defeat the doughtiest Frigate-bird that ever existed. A
pirate’s life is proverbially a hard one, but terribly so must it be when the pirate is
unfitted for the task. Summing up this well-known theory, Mr. Herbert Spencer says,
“The dwindling of a little-exercised part has, by inheritance, been more and more marked
in successive generations.” We may therefore assume that the Frigate-bird will eventually
lose its natatory powers. But it is. equally true that the effects of use are hereditary, so
when this bird has reached the former stage, it is to be hoped, for its own sake, that a
stouter bill and more efficient claws will make their appearance.

The Frigate-bird would, then, appear to be in that dangerous transition stage that
before now has resulted in the extinction of the genus. This, however, seldom happens
unless accompanied by some sudden change in the surroundings. One of the latest
instances is the Dodo. Absolutely without foes, it, from disuse, lost all powers of flight.
Suddenly its habitations were mundated by man, and, without any time given to establish
some other method of escaping, it was annihilated.

I have seen it stated that the Frigate-bird is able to catch the flying-fish as they fly
from their numerous piscine pursuers. If this is a fact, there is still a grand legitimate
field open to them. On a cloudy, windy day, with the fish well on the feed, Frigate-birds
may often be seen fishing for themselves. In such weather, from on board ship, I once watched
three of the tribe very successful. Albicore and Bonita were rising freely at the flying-
fish scattered by the bows of the moving vessel. So, after much manual labour, I managed
to climb along the bowsprit to the outer side of the flying-jib stay. Armed with a patent
sea-fly of my own, I hooked an albicore of 36 ibs., that was carefully landed in a
potato-sack by a sailor posted below on the dolphin-striker. About to recommence
operations, I found myself joined by three gigantic Frigate-birds, looking so fierce and

M

44 OCEAN BIRDS.

so very near that I felt quite uncomfortable in my rather ricketty position. But I was
to be spared as fish were their game, and each soon carried off a struggling beauty in
fine style. But on such a day anybody or anything could catch fish, which probably
accounted for my own success. Still, while on the subject of this sort of fishing, I would
say that I have always found these sea-fish takeable if you have a gut trace and plenty of
red in your bait, when they would not look at the ordinary ship’s fishing-gear. Most
ocean fishing-tackle is too coarse, notably shark-hooks and harpoons. Bring your own on
board, of thin sharp steel, also plenty of hooks and lines of all sorts and sizes, and if fond
of fishing you will have many a good day’s sport.

In the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ for 1864 there is a very graphic account
of Tachypetes Palmerstoni, which is only another name for Tachypetes aquilus. It is written
by Mr. Wodehouse, from Raiatea, September 3rd, 1863 :—

“«Otaha,’ or Man-of-War Hawk (Tachypetes Palmerstoni), so called, you know, from its swift
and dashing habits. The Otaha does not alight on the surface of the sea, being neither able to swim
nor dive; but it hovers over the ocean with unwearied assiduity. Sailors believe it sleeps on the wing.
Their flight is easy and graceful, and has the charm of variety. Sometimes the bird may be seen
balanced in mid-air, its wings spread apparently motionless, its long forked tail expanding and closing
with a quick alternate action, and its head inquisitively turned from side to side to inspect the ocean
beneath ; sometimes it wheels rapidly, or darts to the surface of the water, in pursuit of its prey, and
at others soars to such a great height that it is lost to sight among the clouds of heaven. When
the ocean is turbulent they fare well; but when calm they live by plundering other birds, whose
ocean-food they compel them to disgorge by repeated blows, and, when ejected, the Otaha seizes it
with great dexterity before it falls into the sea. They are very numerous in these islands. ‘The
Otaha builds its nest on the motus, or verdant islets near the reef, amongst the leaves of the ‘ wild
palm.’ I believe the female lays no more than three eggs.”

In describing the genus Tachypetes, Gould says:—‘‘No birds differ more than the
members of this genus, for some examples have white and others brown heads, and
moreover exhibit many other conflicting differences, both in colour and size.”

Mr. Osbert Salvin was kind enough to fully enter into this matter, and explain
these differences by showing me his own specimens.

The male bird is all dark blackish-brown (from which the adjective aquilus), with
a scarlet gular pouch. It seldom exceeds seven feet from tip to tip of wing, and
certainly never approaches the fourteen feet one so often reads about.

The female has a reddish brown throat and no pouch, a white breast, and light
brown-speckled edging along the upper wing-coverts, supposed to resemble the ports of
a ship, and from which the name ‘ Frigate-bird”’; all the rest blackish-brown. It is
rather smaller than the male. The legs in both are short, thin, and feathered to the

PELICANIDA. 45

toes, which are very slightly webbed, and armed with ridiculously small claws. The thin
curved albatross-like bill and long spreading forked tail are also common to both sexes,
The rest of the female’s plumage is a dusky-brown. The young immature bird of both
sexes has the head white, and the baby is an utterly shapeless mass of yellowish down.

Excellent specimens of all these did Mr. Salvin show me. ‘The first three are in the
Natural History Museum under the name of Fregeta aquilus.

Wilson, in ‘American Ornithology,’ says the Frigate-bird is not uncommon during
summer on the coast of the United States as far south as Carolina.

In the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ for 1880 (p. 163), Mr. Saunders
describes two specimens obtained in Lord Lindsay’s expedition: —‘‘ Both females in
immature plumage, passing into the adult stage. As this plumage is rarely met with
and is little known, it is as well to describe it. The wings, back, and tail are black,
with a bar of old brown light-edged feathers along the upper wing-coverts; belly white ;
flanks and under wing-coverts black; shoulders rusty black, passing into chesnut, which
pervades the throat; neck, nape, and crown of head white, slightly tinged with rust; bill
horn-white.” He also writes concerning this bird, on the same expedition :—<“ Off Island
of Trinidad, South Atlantic, Aug. 20, lat. 20° 23’S., long. 29° 43’ W. Temperature of air
77° Fahr. and of water 71°. Large numbers seen; some deep black, with scarlet pouch
under the throat. Found them sitting on the island.”

The black birds with scarlet pouch were, of course, the males. Mr. O. Salvin says
it swarms in the Bay of Panama, and breeds in vast numbers on Pajaros Island, in

the Gulf of Fonseca.

SmatL Fricats-sirp (Tachypetes minor).—I never remember seeing this smaller Frigate-
bird on the voyage to Australia, but it is very common all along the northern shores
of that great island. In shape and colouring both sexes resemble Tachypetes aquilus, only
on a somewhat smaller scale. Its habits are also identical. Gould, in ‘ Birds of Australia’
(vol. 1. p. 499), has the following :—

“* Attagen ariel (Gould, ‘Birds of Australia,’ vol. vii. pl. 72).—This species of Tachypetes,
which is considered to be the old Pelecanus minor of Gmelin, is rather abundantly dispersed
over the seas washing the shores of the tropical parts of the Australian continent, particularly
those of Torres Straits.

‘The late Commander Ince, R.N., who during the surveying voyage of H.M.S. ‘Fly,’
was for some time stationed on Raine’s Islet, superintending the erection of a beacon,

informed me that on his landing on this small island, which is situate in lat. 12°S., at

46 OCEAN BIRDS.

about seventy miles from the north-eastern coast of the Australian continent, and surrounded
by a part of the great barrier reef, he ‘found this bird breeding in colonies at its S.W.
coast, the nest being composed of a few small sticks collected from the shrubs and
herbaceous plants which alone clothe the island, and placed either on the ground or on
the plants, a few inches above it. The eggs, which are generally one, but occasionally
two in number, are of a pure white, not so chalky in appearance as those of the Gannet,
and nearly of the same shape at both ends. Upon one occasion I killed the old birds
from a nest that contained a young one; on visiting the spot I found the young bird
removed to another nest, the proprietors of which were feeding it as if it had been their
own; I am sure of this fact, because there was no other nest near it containing two
young birds. Some of the eggs were quite fresh, while others had been so far sat upon
that we could not blow them; and many of the young birds must have been hatched
some two or three weeks. We regarded these birds as the Falcons of the sea, for we
repeatedly saw them compel the Terns, Boobies, and Gannets to disgorge their prey, and
theu adroitly catch it before it fell to the ground or water. We never saw them settle on
the water, but constantly soaring round and round, apparently on the watch for what the
smaller birds were bringing home. I have found in their pouch young turtles, fish, cuttle-
fish, and small erabs.’”’

In ‘The Field,’ 4th July, 1885, Mr. H. O. Forbes, describing bird-life in the Keeling
Islands, says:—‘*The Noddy Tern (Anous stolidus) and the Gannet (Sula piscatrix) were
seen in thousands; and he had many an opportunity of noting how their industrious
habits are taken advantage of by the swift-winged Frigate-birds (Tachypetes minor), much
in the same way that the Brown Skuas pursue and harass the English Gulls.”

The bird is thus deseribed by Gould:—‘‘The male has the entire plumage brownish
black, the feathers of the head glossed with green, and the lengthened plumes of the
back with purple and green reflexions; orbits and gular pouch deep red; bill bluish horn-
colour; irides black; feet dark reddish brown. ‘The female is similar to the male, but
browner; is destitute of the coloured plumes on the back; has some of the wing-coverts
and tertiaries edged with light brown, forming a mark along the wing; a collar at the back
of the neck; the breast and upper parts of the flanks white, washed with rufous. A nestling
bird in my collection is clothed with white down, except on the back and the scapularies,
where the dark brown coloured and perfect feathers have just been assumed.”

In the Natural History Museum there are specimens of male, female, and young, the

latter having the usual light-coloured head.

CHAPTER II.

EE 1G AON NEVES:

“But if we would closely mark,
We should see him not all dark;
We should find we must not scorn
The teachings of the idiot-born.”
Euiza Cook.

ay HERE are seven species of Gannet, one of which is found in Europe. They all

breed in colonies, and only lay one egg.

THe Brown Gannet (Sula leucogaster).—To describe the birds of an Australian voyage,
and omit the confiding Booby would indeed be remiss. Who has not seen him at dusk
flapping round the ship on a tour of inspection, previous to pitching on board for the
night. Once settled, the bird is yours if you choose to brave a few ferocious digs and
snaps, for it will not attempt to escape.

I remember once seeing a ship’s cat stealthily stalk a Booby that had boarded us.
All her feline craft being brought into play, she soon pounced upon the bird. But the
Booby, wildly slashing around with his powerful bill, disentangled himself and hopped
aside. And of course flew away, you will say. Nothing of the kind. As far as the bird
was concerned, the whole incident appeared to be entirely forgotten. For there it stood,
blinking down at the deck, till suddenly aroused by another furious attack from puss.
Again, however, did the bird manage to escape, the worse by many feathers; and this
went on till—to prevent the death of the Booby—we had to drive away and shut up
the cat. Now, although this bird evidently hated the whole performance, it never seemed
to comprehend that flying quietly over the side would get over all its difficulties. It was
very amusing to see the trouble the cat took over her first stalk, and how soon she found
out that in this case all such finesse was entirely thrown away.

It is generally believed on board ship that the Booby sees very badly at night, and
is therefore specially glad to come to anchor about dusk. Hence his affection for a ship.

This fact is, I believe, generally granted; but it does not account for the stupidity of
N

48 OCEAN BIRDS.

their behaviour, as they are just as easy to catch in the day-time. It is thus described
by Gould, in his ‘ Birds of Australia,’ under the title of Sula fusca :-—

“The plumage of the two sexes is so precisely similar that it is utterly impossible
to distinguish them by external observation; it is true that the colouring of the feet,
face, and other soft parts is not always alike, but this difference I believe to be the result
of age, rather than of a difference in sex; and if this opinion be correct, the bright
yellow-coloured feet are indicative of the bird being fully adult, and the olive-brown of its
being immature. Head, neck, breast, all the upper surface, wings and tail dark chocolate-
brown; under surface pure white, separated from the brown of the breast by a sharply
defined line; irides very pale yellow, blotched before and beneath the eyes with bluish;
eyelash light ash-grey; legs and feet pale yellow.”

Messrs. Sclater and Salvin, on birds collected by H.M.S. ‘Challenger’ (Proc. Zool. Soe.
1878, p. 651), describe two specimens as follows :—

‘Specimen 141, male, Raine Island. Eyes grey; feet light green; bill bluish towards
the base, white at the tip.”

‘‘Specimen 510, female, at sea. Hyes white or light grey. Stomach had cuttle-fish ;
feet yellow with green tinge; bill flesh-colour, cere greenish.”

As might be expected of such a bird, it lays its one egg on the bare rocks. Sometimes
this dainty is devoured by a Hermit-crab, which allows itself to be sat upon during the

process, persuading the boobyish mother it is another egg!

THe Rep-Leccep Gannet (Sula piscatric).—This Gannet may be met with as we near
Australia. It is easily recognised by its red legs and the red at the basal part of bill.
It is considerably smaller than the rest of the species, and is therefore often called the
‘‘Lesser Gannet.” It is thus described by Gould, in his ‘Birds of Australia’ :—‘‘ The
adults have the entire plumage buffy white, with the exception of the wings and tail; the
former of which are blackish brown, washed with grey, and the latter pale greyish brown,
passing into grey, with white shafts; irides grey; legs and feet vermilion.” In the young
bird the white is a dull brown.

Messrs. Sclater and Salvin, in the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ for 1878,
thus describe a specimen collected by H.M.S, ‘Challenger’ :—‘‘ No. 123, female, off Cape
York at sea. Eyes brown; bill and throat light blue, reddish towards the base, and the
tips of both mandibles brown; feet coral-red. The stomach contained cuttlefish about
34 and 4 inches long.”

This bird breeds in trees. See ‘Ibis,’ 1864, p. 379.

PELICANIDA. 49

THE Masked Gannet (Sula personata).—I have frequently seen these birds in the
Southern Seas, and they can always be recognised by a blackish face against a dazzling
white body. Together with all the other members of the Gannet family, it possesses the
two attributes of magnificent diving at sea and absolute lunacy on board ship. It is
thus described by Gould, in his ‘ Birds of Australia’ :—‘*'The whole of the plumage of both
sexes is pure white, with the exception of the greater wing-coverts, primaries, secondaries,
tertiaries, the tips of the two central and the whole of the lateral tail-feathers, which are
of a rich chocolate-brown; irides yellow; naked skin of the face and chin in specimen
dark bluish black; legs greenish blue.”

The correct ornithological name of this Gannet is Sula cyanops. Two specimens
collected by H.M.S. ‘Challenger’ are thus described by Messrs. Sclater and Salvin, in the
‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ for 1878 :—‘*137 and 138. Females. Raine Island.
Eyes yellow; skin of the throat black; legs and feet slate-colour. Stomach contained fish

and cuttlefish.”

AUSTRALIAN GaNNET (Suwa australis)—This bird is exactly the same in every particular
as our own Gannet (Sula bassana). It is another example of a southern type of a northern
bird. In this case, however, the resemblance is so complete that two descriptions are

unnecessary. Gould gives the following dimensions:—total length, 32 in.; bill, 53 in.;
wing, 19 in.; tail, 10 in.; tarsi, 2 in.

GannEt (Sula bassana).—This well-known bird is generally called the ‘‘ Solan Goose.”
Describing it, Mr. H. E. Dresser, in his ‘ Birds of Kurope,’ says:—‘‘ Sula bassana, the type
of the genus, has the bill longer than the head, straight, elongated, conical, moderately
compressed; upper mandible with the ridge broad, separated from the sides by grooves,
the sides being slightly convex, with a slender jointed additional piece beneath the eye,
the edges sharp, irregularly jagged; tip acute, slightly decurved; the small gular sac is
partially bare; nostrils obliterated in the adult, open in the young; wings, long, narrow,
pointed, the first quill longest; tail long, wedge-shaped; tarsus very short, sharp behind,
scaly; toes united by a membrane, the middle toe longest; claws arched, moderate in
size, that on the middle toe pectinate.”

It is most interesting to watch a Gannet dive after a fish. They seem to fold their
wings, and regularly dash into the sea with a sort of slap-dash that would give a sensitive
person a headache. Not content with this, they continue the dive far under the water,
regularly pursuing the fish deep down in his own element.

With regard to this wonderful power of descending on a fish, Sir Richard Owen, in

50 OCEAN BIRDS.

his examination of one that died in the Zoological Gardens, says:—‘‘ Numerous strips of
muscular fibres passed from various parts of the surface of the body, and were firmly
attached to the skin; a beautiful fan-shaped muscle was also spread over the external
surface of the air-cell anterior to the os furciform. The use of these muscles appeared
to be, to produce instantaneous expulsion of the air from the external cells, and by thus
increasing the specific gravity of the bird to enable it to descend with the rapidity necessary
to the capture of a living prey while swimming near the surface of the water.”

The late Frank Buckland, in his ‘Notes and Jottings from Animal Life,’ also refers
to this peculiarity of the Gannet. He says:—‘‘Instead of swooping like a Gull, the
Gannet drops almost perpendicularly from a great height into the sea, causing the water
to splash up. By an admirable structure the Gannet is enabled to blow the whole of
his body full of air, so that, in fact, he becomes an animated balloon, the skin also being
divided into air-cells. I am more convinced than ever of the wonderful adaptation of
means to ends as seen in the structure of the Gannet.”

Taking another extract from this most interesting book, he says:—‘‘ Besides the
herrings, there were several Gannets caught by the neck in the meshes of the net. The
Gannets had dived, as usual, from a great height on to the floating herrings, had thrust
their long pointed beaks through the meshes of the nets, and so were drowned.”

I take one more extract, this time to show that the Gannet is not altogether such a
simpleton as one would suppose :—‘‘ I was told quite a new story about Gannets, which breed
very abundantly in Scotland. When these birds are building, they steal materials for the
nest one from the other. If the thief Gannet is caught in the act, the bird to whom the
property belongs gives the thief a good thrashing, which she takes quietly and as a matter
of course. If the thief is not detected stealing, she flies out to sea with the stolen
property, and then returns looking very innocent, and pretending that she had got it away

at sea. So we learn that there are humbugs among birds as among our noble selves.”

Tae Brack-rartep Gannuet (Sula capensis).—This bird is exceedingly common all
round tiie shores of South Africa, and is consequently well known to Australian voyagers.
In Layard and Sharpe’s ‘Birds of South Africa’ we read the following account :—‘ The
‘Malagash,’ as it is called by the colonists, or Common Gannet of South Africa. General
colour throughout white; the larger feathers of the wings and tail black-brown; the
shafts of the former grey; those of the latter white; head and neck, and particularly
the back of the latter, ochreous-yellow; space round and before the eye, bare, and of a

dark blue colour; a bare stripe of the same extends from the angle of the mouth, on

PELICANIDA. 51

each side of the head, and from the chin, two-thirds of the way down the neck; irides
pale fulvous; legs dark livid colour. Length 36”; wing 19”; tail 10”.”

Sula variegata.— Concerning this bird, of which very little is known, and which I
mention merely to complete the family of Gannets, Mr. Salvin, in a letter to me, says :—
“Sula variegata is only found along a limited portion of the west coast of South America,
but is, I believe, common on the Chincha Islands, being one of the guano producers.
I have no doubt whatever it is a very distinct species. It is not at all likely that it

would be seen during a voyage to Australia.’’

or
bo

CHAPTER III.
TE ARO Cabins:

“Spirit of ethereal birth!
Aérial visitant of earth!
Take me o’er the proud, blue sea,
Show its beauties all to me.”
Eniza Coox.

3a 4N Mythology, Phaéton was the child of the sun; in Ornithology it is essentially
the bird of the sun. The hotter the weather, and the fiercer the glare, the

more do they appear in their element.
There are three distinct birds of this species. They are distributed throughout the

tropics. At sea they go by the name of Boatswain- (bosun) birds, on account of their

piping cry.

Tue Rep-rairep Tropic-pirp (Phaéton phenicurus)—The first Red-tailed Tropic-bird I
ever saw was from board ship one brilliant morning, somewhere near the Equator, when
pyjama-clad, I was admiring, as a novice, the wonderful beauty of the scene. Compare
with our English suns that ball of fire, now rising with a halo of glory that is fast setting ablaze
the whole of the eastern horizon; look out at the far-spreading glistening sea dotted with tiny
Portuguese men-of-war, catching each breath of wind with their rainbow-coloured sails ; watch
those glittering shoals of flying-fish, skimming the water to escape the golden-finned albicore,
and then plunging into the ocean with a header refreshing to behold; now look straight
overhead, and behold, standing out in bold relief against the harebell blue of an absolutely
cloudless sky, a pure white fairy-bird, with scarlet beak and tail. You need not ask its
board-ship name, for is not that shrill pipimg cry, now answered by its mate, the very
counterpart of Frost, the boatswain, piping ‘“‘all hands.’’ It is, indeed, the Bosun-bird,
welcoming us to his beloved tropics. Some years after, in very different surroundings, I
obtained a good specimen of this beautiful bird. Certainly it was in the Tropics, for you
seldom see them outside its limits; but it was dull, murky weather, and blowing hard.
Notwithstanding the inhospitable elements, a Red-tailed Tropic-bird kept racing round our

ship, till a long and lucky shot to windward, aided by the friendly gale, landed him on board.

PELICANID.4. 53

It now adorns my smoking-room in a case of ocean birds; but though wonderful the skill of
the taxidermist, and pleasant the old times these stuffed specimens recall, they all lack the
unattainable quality of life, without which they no more resemble their former joyous selves
than a mummy does King Pharaoh. All Tropic-birds are very careful of their tails, both in
roosting and nesting; but the Red-tailed ones, especially, are frequently met with without
these two long appendages; they may be moulting; but it is also the fact that in many of
their breeding-stations they are caught for the sake of their brilliant feathers alone, and then
set at liberty. Especially are they coveted by the native chiefs, who skilfully work them into
a bristling crimson coronet. I was once becalmed off the Island of Ticopia, lat. 12° 14' S.,
long. 168° 53’ K., and boarded by a host of these dusky warriors; and with many of them this
same coronet constituted their sole attempt at dress. The Red-tailed Tropic-bird is thus
described by Gould in ‘Birds of Australia,’ vol. ii., p. 503:—‘*The adults have a broad
crescent of black before each eye, the upper part of which extends over and behind that organ ;
centre of the tertiaries and flank-feathers deep black; the whole of the remainder of the
plumage silky white, with a rich roseate tinge, especially on the back; shafts of the primaries
black from the base to within an inch of their apex; shafts of the lateral tail-feathers black to
within half an inch of the tip; two centre tail-feathers white at the base and rich deep red for
the remainder of their length, which extends to eighteen inches, their shafts black; irides
black; bill vermilion, with a black streak running through the nostrils, and a narrow line of
faint blue at the base of both mandibles; tarsi and the base of the toes and webs faint blue ;
remainder of the toes and webs black. The young birds for the first year are very different
from the adults, being of a silky white, without the roseate blush, with the whole of the upper
surface broadly barred with black, and with the black of the shafts of the primaries expanded
into a spatulate form at the top of the feathers.” In page 502, he says there is ‘‘a more
decided roseate blush upon the plumage of the male, especially on the back; but this varies
slightly in intensity in different individuals of the same sex, and fades considerably in a
preserved skin.” Dr. Walker, in a voyage from Liverpool to Vancouver’s Island, 1868, says :—
‘From 28° 8. to 5° 8., flocks of Tropic-birds. One shot that fell on deck (Phaeton phenicurus) ;
from tip of beak to tip of longest ordinary tail-feather, 18} inches; one red tail-feather,
9 inches; from tip of beak to extremity of commissure, 3°6; 2°3 to extremity of nasal
opening.” The eggs (two in number) are of a yellowish white, with reddish spots; but it is
extraordinary how greatly specimens differ both in form and colour.

THe Common Tropic-Birp (Phacton wthereus)—This bird is all white, except black bands

on the wings, and a little black at the base of the two long tail-feathers; the beak is red. It

is the same shape and size as P. phenicwrus, and is met with in the same localities.

54 OCEAN BIRDS.

‘ae YrLuow-BitLep Tropic-Birp (Phaéton flavirostris).—This is a much smaller bird than
the two preceding, except in the. matter of beak, which is yellow. It resembles P. ethereus on a
smaller scale. The habits of all three species of Phaéton are identical. Mr. EK. L. Layard,
describing some specimens from the Friendly Islands, says :+‘‘It builds in the forests of
Samoa, selecting as a site for its nest the fork of a tree or of a huge perpendicular branch, so
that it can enter at one side, and avoid bending or damaging its long tail. I used to watch
the flocks going to their sleeping-quarters in the woods, passing high overhead; and we soon
observed that great numbers of them were devoid of tails. One I obtained proved to have
moulted this appendage.” Dr. O. Finsch says their native name in Ponapé is ‘‘ Taraki.” He
describes three specimens, as follows :—‘‘ Two males and one female; the sexes exactly alike ;
one male is tinged with very delicate rose-colour. The Island of Ponapé is a new locality for
this widely-distributed species.”’

PART ITI.

LARIDA.

CuapteR I—THE TERNS (STERNINA).
» IL—THE GULLS (LARINZ).

», UI—THE SKUA GULLS (STERCORARIINA).

G

CHAPTER I.

THE TERNS.

“And wilt thou, little bird, go with us?
Thou mayst stand on the mainmast tall,
For full to sinking is my house
With merry companions all.’
LonGFELLow.

S| HERE are about fifty members of the subfamily Sternine, which Mr. Howard

Saunders divides into Hydrochelidon, Sterna, Nenia, Gygis and Anous. Hydrochelidon

represents the well-known Marsh or River Terns, which I do not consider
Ocean Birds, and we should not expect to meet any members of Nenia or Gygis on an
Australian voyage.

We have therefore only to deal with a certain number of the Sea Terns (Sterna) and
Noddies (Anous). The coloration is very perplexing, as they have three different stages
of plumage, viz., the immature, the winter, and the adult breeding state. In the last
stage, as a rule, they have black heads. They all have fully webbed feet, armed with
sharp claws, a more or less long, thin, straight, sharp bill, and a more or less long
forked tail. In length they run from about twenty-two inches down to eight inches.
The members of the family that frequent Great Britain are only summer visitants.

At sea all the Terns are called ‘“‘Sea Swallows.” They are much appreciated as
generally announcing the approach of the Tropics, and taking the place, astern of the

vessel, of the Procellariide.

Sterna.—Generic characters :—‘“ Bill as long, or longer, than the head; nearly straight,
compressed, slender, tapering, with the edges sharp, and the end pointed; the mandibles
of equal length, the upper one slightly curved towards the point. Nostrils near the
middle of the beak, pierced longitudinally, pervious. Legs slender, naked for a short

space above the tarsal joint; tarsi short; toes four, the three in front united by

58 OCEAN BIRDS.

intervening membranes deeply concave in front, or semi-palmated; the hind toe free;
claws small, curved. Wings long, pointed, the first quill-feather the longest. ‘ail forked
in various degrees.”—VYarrell, Brit. Birds (vol. ii.).

Tue Common Tern (Sterna hirundo).— This well-known little bird visits our country
from May to September. Before leaving us they collect in flocks, for, like their namesake
the Swallow, they seem to prefer taking their long journey south in the largest company
possible. Anywhere between Gravesend and the Cape of Good Hope, in the vicinity of
land, this sociable little bird might come fluttering out to the ship, and, if undisturbed,
be only too glad to spend the night on board, as they often get further out to sea than
they intend, and being bad swimmers are glad of a rest.

The hirundo for this particular bird, and ‘‘Sea Swallow” for all the Terns, is owing
to the mutual long forked tail and pointed curving wings, rather than to any resemblance
in the actual flying itself, which is of a very inferior order to that of its namesake.
I have often watched Swallows beat down a street, and while in full flight pick the fles
off the windows, and this without appearing to touch the glass—so wonderfully precise
can they be. Now the winged movements of the Tern always seem to me to be of an
uncertain and ‘don’t care where I go” sort of order—more like a butterfly than a bird.
But perhaps, after all, this is only put on to deceive the young and innocent fry off
whom they so dearly love to sup. For how soon this airy, flopperty, style, can be
changed into a headlong dash into the water. ‘* What are they after?’’ I once asked
my fisherman on Loch Leven, after watching and admiring a pair of Common Terns
taking magnificent headers into the Loch. ‘Young Perch,” he replied, ‘‘and I should
be sorry to feed my cat on the ones they go for and miss.” He was fond of his cat
was this man. They are sometimes seen high up sweeping along at a tremendous pace,
apparently bound on most urgent business. They then fly both strong and fast, and
with their powerful wings and long tail much resemble a hawk, from which reason they
are often by shore-going mariners called ‘‘Sea-hawks.” At Hickling Broad by the same
class of individuals they are called ‘ Daws.”

It is difficult to understand what Yarrell, in ‘British Birds,’ means when he says
they never dive. Probably he only refers to the ‘ head-over-heels” kind of arrangement
of the domestic Duck and others. But as to the real genuine header, one might safely
back a Tern or a Gannet against any other bird that flies. Both of them seem to drop

perpendicularly into the water, and to disappear altogether from view until they emerge
with the captured fish.

LARID AL. 59

The mouth of the Eden, on the east coast of Scotland, is a great breeding-place for
Terns. The Common Tern there appears to lay three distinct varieties of eggs. A very
old St. Andrews naturalist first poimted this fact out to me. He showed me some hundreds
of Common Terns’ eggs that he himself had collected, which he had divided into three
groups, calling them the ‘‘grass,” the ‘ heather,” and the ‘sand.’ Sure enough the
‘‘orass”’ ego exactly resembled the striped shadows grass would make, the “ heather’? was
spotted and speckled, and the ‘‘sand”’ was one uniform dark muddy sand-colour. Hach
ego, in fact, possessed a remarkable resemblance in colour to its surroundings. Is it then
that the bird, after choosing a position for its nest, has the power of laying eggs of a
colour corresponding to the surroundings? [I think not. Is it then that the eggs of
themselves take up this colour? Certainly not, or all eggs would be similarly affected,
and this we know is not the case. No; it rather appears to be another example of
Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest.’ Taking into consideration the now well-known fact
that the dispositions and actions of animals are hereditary, a long ancestral line of birds
would year after year build in the same sort of locality, and those eggs resembling that
locality would be the most likely to escape destruction from their numerous enemies, and
so eventually establish three varieties of the Common Tern laying eggs like their surroundings.
One would therefore be inclined to say that such a disposition in time must constitute sufficient
specific distinctness in the bird itself to form three separate species. Darwin tells us that
the Tiger and Leopard are branches from the same stock. ‘Two varieties were spared: those
most resembling the stripes like the shadows of the tall jungle-grass, and those most
resembling the spotted appearance of the shadows caused by leaves—eventually forming
the two present distinct species, though at what precise moment a variety turns into a
species is not quite clear.*

While on the subject of Terns’ eggs, I may mention a story a very keen old collector
once told me. He had found some Terns’ eggs very much ‘sat on,” and taking them
home he hatched them off in hot water. He then put the young birds in a basket by
the fire, when, to his horror, a cat immediately took possession of the brood—not,
however, to eat, but to rear, which she did so successfully that they all grew up and
finally flew away out of the window. This sounds like a fairy tale, but such was the
story, and he seemed a truthful old man.

The bird is thus described by Yarrell (Brit. Birds, vol. iii. p. 898):—‘‘In the adult
bird in summer the bill is coral-red, the point black, irides dark brown; back and wings
ash-grey; outside web of the first primary slate-grey, the shaft white, inner web light

* The old rule was that the hybrid offspring of species are sterile, and the mongrel offspring of varieties are fertile.

Q

60 OCEAN BIRDS.

grey; tail-coverts white; outer webs of tail-feathers pale ash-grey, inner webs white; chin,
neck, breast, and under surface dull white; legs, toes, and membranes coral-red. The
whole length of the bird fourteen inches and a quarter; from the wrist to the end of the
longest quill-feather ten inches and a half. A young bird killed in August has the point
of the beak dark brown, the base reddish-yellow; forehead dull white; posterior part of
the crown, the ear-coverts, and the occiput black; chin and neck all round white; back
and wing-coverts ash-grey, each feather margined with ash-brown and white; outer web of
the first quill-feather black; the others ash-grey; under-surface of the body white; legs,
toes, and membranes reddish-brown.”

Though this bird has been separated from the Arctic Tern since the days of Linneus,
there is no doubt but that the Arctic is really the commonest Tern in our islands. Mr.
Howard Saunders and others therefore call it Sterna fluviatilis, and drop the Sterna hirundo,
as that name had become common to both Terns. Dresser says:—‘*‘ The Common Tern is
generally distributed throughout Europe, though hardly so abundant as the Arctic in the
northern portion of the Continent. Like many of the Sterne, it is common to both the
Old and New Worlds, and even extends into Southern Africa.”

Tue Arctic Tern (Sterna arctica)—One thing is certain, that the English name of
this bird should have been the Common Tern, if there is to be any meaning in the word
‘“‘common.” Mr. H. Saunders takes the name Sterna macrura for this bird, and concludes
his article as follows:—‘‘The Arctic Tern ranges along the coasts of Northern Europe,
Asia, and America; in winter it visits the African coast, descending as far as Walwich
Bay; and I have an example obtained by Wucherer off Bahia, the only instance known
of its occurrence so far south on the American side.”

It is thus described by Yarrell (‘British Birds,’ vol. ii. p. 408):—‘‘‘The adult bird
in summer has the bill coral-red, the extreme point sometimes black; forehead, crown,
and nape black; back, wings, and wing-coverts pearl-grey; outer web of the first primary
lead-grey; tail-coverts and tail-feathers almost white, the two longest tail-feathers on
each side grey on the outer webs; cheeks white; chin and upper part of neck in front,
and on the sides ash-grey; breast and all the under surface of the body as dark a grey
colour as that of the back; legs, toes, and their membranes orange-red. ‘The whole
length of the bird from the point of the bill to the end of the middle, or short, tail-
feather twelve inches and a half, to the end of the longest tail-feather two inches and
a half more, or fifteen inches whole length; from the wrist to the end of the longest quill-
feather, eleven inches; length of the tarsus only half an inch.”

LARID/L. 61

Mr. H. Saunders, in explaining how perplexing are the variations of the colouring of
the Tern family, states as an example that the red bill of both this Tern and the Common
Tern becomes quite dark in the first two weeks of October.

The bill of the Arctic Tern is shorter, slighter, and rather more curved than that of

the Common Tern. Dresser says this Tern is found as far south as the Cape of Good Hope.

Caspian TERN (Sterna caspia).—This well-known bird, the largest of the British Terns,
is occasionally met with on the east coast of England. Mr. Howard Saunders says it is
found from Northern Europe to New Zealand, and in America from Labrador, where it
breeds, down to New Jersey. Dresser says:—‘‘ Ranging from Northern Finland down to
South Africa, and frequenting the coasts of Asia and the Islands to New Zealand, the
Caspian Tern is also found in the Nearctic Region from the shores of Labrador down
to New Jersey, and has therefore a very extensive range.”

In reading over one of my old logs I find mention of a strange bird with a whitish
head and long beak that flew on board, and by its actions and appearance completely
puzzled all the ornithological talent of our ship. We perceived it was a species of Tern,
but we were amazed at its size and perfect self-possession. It allowed itself to be caught
and fed, and when released still kept to the ship, much to the disgust of certain dogs
and cats, who were not allowed to touch it. Finally it took its departure in that airy and
unconcerned way peculiar to the Tern family. At the time it was certainly a case of—

“* Although I do not know your name,
Nor can I tell from whence you came,”
but afterwards, reading over its description and looking at the sketch I made of it at
the time, I came to the conclusion it was a Caspian Tern in winter plumage. It is the
only one I have ever seen, and its friendliness and general good faith alone saved it
from becoming an addition to my collection of birds.

As this happened close to Australia, it would be the Caspian Tern of Australian
waters. Gould gives it then a different name, calling it the “ Powerful Tern,” Sterna
strenua, and says it is larger than our bird, and has a more richly coloured bill.
Mr. H. Saunders, however, says that it is now generally conceded that there is but
one species. Its range must, therefore, be very large, as it is occasionally met
with in Great Britam. Owing to its great size, it is sometimes called the ‘‘ King of the
Sea-swallows.”

‘The bird is thus described by Yarrell, ‘British Birds’ (vol. 1. p. 887) :—‘‘ When

in their summer plumage the bill is vermilion-red, lighter in colour at the points; the

62 OCEAN BIRDS.

irides reddish-brown; forehead, at the top of the head, and the nape of the neck rich
black, the feathers of that colour on the occiput elongated; lower part of the neck all
round white; the back and all the upper surface of the body, the wings, and tail-feathers
ash-grey; the first six wing-primaries of a much darker grey, a slate-grey, with white
shafts; the tail but slightly forked; the chin, throat, breast, and all the under surface
of the body pure white; legs, toes, their membranes, and the claws black, the latter
strong and curved. The whole length of the specimen described, from the point of the
beak to the end of the long feathers of the tail, nineteen inches; some specimens
measure twenty to twenty-one inches. Adult birds in winter have the head white.”

Seebohm says the forehead keeps the same dark colour both summer and winter.

The Anurep TERN (Sterna affinis), called by Gould the ‘Indian Tern,” is a big edition of
the Sandwich Tern with a yellow bill. Bree says it is the only European Tern that is not
a visitant to Great Britain. Mr. Howard Saunders, calling it S. media, says :—‘‘It ranges
from the Straits of Gibraltar, along the Mediterranean, down the Red Sea to Madagascar ;
and eastwards along the Indian coast and islands, throughout the Malay Archipelago, the
Aru Islands, down to Torres Straits and Port Essington.” He says it can always be
distinguished by its pearl-grey rump and tail. The bird is thus described by Bree in
‘Birds of Kurope’ (vol. vy. p. 56):—‘Male and female in breeding plumage have the
forehead, vertex, and occiput of a deep black; nape silvery white; top of the body bluish
ash, like the Sandwich Tern; lower part of the body, front and sides of the neck, and
cheeks of a silvery white; wing-coverts like the back; primaries of a velvety ash,
bordered on their inner webs with white; tail bluish ash, darker than the wing-coverts,
with the most lateral quill on each side of a velvety ash; beak yellow and slightly
‘Gull-billed’; feet black.”

The Bass’s Srrarrs Turn (Sterna poliocerca) is another large yellow-billed Tern, closely
allied to the last. Gould gives its total length, 17} inches; bill, 22; wing, 123; tail, 7;
tarsi, 1. Mr. Howard Saunders, describing it under the name of S, bergii, says:—‘ The
distinguishing character of the Large Sea Tern is the white band of feathers across the base
of the bill. In the adult plumage, and even in winter plumage, there is no other species
of its size in which the mantle and tail are of so dark a grey.’ On the Australian
voyage this bird might be met with anywhere near land south of the line, right round
the Cape of Good Hope, to Australia. It is thus described by Gould, ‘Birds of Australia’
(vol. il. p. 896) :—* Crown of the head and occipital crest jet-black; forehead, back of the

neck, and all the under surface silky white; back, wings, and tail grey; secondaries

LARIDA. 63

tipped with white; shafts of the wings and tail white; bill yellow; irides black; legs
and feet brownish-black.”” This bird abounds on the shores of Tasmania and New South
Wales. In the P. Z.8., 1864, Part I., January to March, is the following description
of this bird by Mr. Wodehouse (dated, ‘‘Raiatea, 3rd September, 1863’’) :—‘** Otino’
(S. poliocerca), White Reef-bird, also a species of Heron, as you will have seen. This
gentleman passes his time on the ‘barrier-reef,’ amidst the foam of the broken wave,
which brings with it from the ocean the small fish which constitute his food. His home
is, too, the ‘wild palm’ of the ‘green motu,’ close to his beloved reef, on whose wave-

beaten surface he passes his life. I do not know how many eggs the female lays.”

The Torres Straits Tern (Sterna cristata) is closely allied to the two former. Mr.
Howard Saunders describes it under the heading of ‘“ Sterna maxima.” Comparing it with
the Caspian Tern, Seebohm says it is a smaller and distinct species, and may be
distinguished by having the outer portion of the inner webs of the first six primaries
white. On the Australian voyage it would be seen along the West Coast of Africa,

near the line, and on the East Coast of Australia.

The Sournern Tern (Sterna melanoryhncha) is common off the shores of New Zealand.
It is S. frontalis of Mr. Howard Saunders. Space round eye and occiput black; forehead,
sides of the neck, and under surface white; upper surface, back, wings, and tail grey; bill
black. Gould gives following dimensions :—Total length, 13 inches; bill, 2}; wing, 92;
tail, 63; tarsi, 3.

Sterna hirundinacea is described by Mr. Howard Saunders ‘as the largest and lightest in
colour of the medium-sized Sea Terns; and the entire bill (which is long and powerful) is

bright red in the adult.”” On the homeward voyage round the Horn it should be looked
out for off the Falklands.

Sterna vittata is very similar to above, only smaller. It frequents St. Paul’s Island

and Kereuelen Island.

Sterna virgata also frequents Kerguelen Island. Mr. Howard Saunders says :—‘ The

bill is rich blood-red, and the feet are red.”

Sterna antarctica is thus described by Mr. Howard Saunders :—‘‘ This species, of a nearly
uniform smoke-grey colour, appears to be confined to New Zealand, and principally to
the South Island, where it deposits its eggs on the bare ground, making no nest. The

bill and feet are orange.”

64 OCEAN BIRDS.

Sanpwicn Tern (Sterna Boysii)—Another British Tern, and fairly common all round
our shores in the autumn. I have frequently seen them along the coast of the Firth of
Forth. Dresser says:—‘‘ Like most of the sea-birds, the present species of Tern has a
very extensive range, being found in Hurope, Africa as far south as the Cape of Good
Hope, and America as far south as Brazil.”

Under the name of S. cantiaca, Mr. H. Saunders says that the range of this species
is from Northern Europe to the Cape of Good Hope and Bay of Bengal in winter; and
along the Atlantic coast of North America to the West Indian Islands, Honduras, and
Brazil, as far as Bahia.

It is thus described by Yarrell, ‘British Birds’ (vol. iii. p. 891):—‘The adult bird
in summer has the bill black, the tip yellowish white; the irides hazel; all the parts
of the head above the eyes black; the feathers on the occiput elongated, forming a loose
plume which ends in a point; cheeks, sides, and bottom of the neck behind white; back
and wings ash-grey, the ends of the tertials almost white; the longest primary slate-grey,
with a strong and broad white shaft; the next two or three primaries each a little lighter
in colour than the first, and diminishing in colour in succession till they become of the
same tint as the wing-coverts; the tail white and forked; chin, throat, neck in front,
and all the under surface of the body pure white; legs, toes, and their membranes black,
claws curved and black. The whole length of the bird, from the point of the beak to
the end of the longest quill-feather, eleven inches; the first quill-feather the longest in

the wing. Adult birds in winter have the head white.”

Tue Roszare Tern (Sterna dougalli).—This lovely Tern is fast disappearing from our
coasts, and there are only two or three localities where it now breeds; perhaps the principal
of them is the Fern Islands, off the coast of Northumberland. Mr. H. Saunders says :—
«Apart from its light and elegant shape, and its proportionately short wings, this species
may always be recognised by the white inner margins of the primaries, extending quite
round the tips of the feathers as far as the outer webs; the rump and tail-feathers are washed
with grey. The coloration of the bill varies considerably with age and seasons; in some
specimens it is black almost to the base, while in others the red or orange extends far

in front of the angle.”

Mr. Howard Saunders says the Gracerun Tern (S. gracilis) of Gould is merely a
form of S. dougalli, with more red than usual in its bill. Amongst other places, this
bird is to be found along the Mediterranean, in Ceylon, off the Cape of Good Hope,
and along the West Coast of Australia.

LARIDA. 65

It is thus described by Yarrell, ‘British Birds’ (vol. i. p. 395):—‘‘In the adult
bird in summer the bill, from the poimt to the nostrils, is black, from there to the base
or gape red; the irides dark; all the top of the head black; neck all round white;
back, wing-coverts, and quill-feathers ash-grey; the outer webs of the primaries dark
grey, the inner webs lighter; tail-feathers very long, extending beyond the ends of the
wings, the colour pale ash-grey; breast and all the under surface of the body white,
strongly tinted with a delicate rose-colour, whence the bird derives its name; legs, toes,
and their membranes red. ‘The whole length of the bird, fifteen inches and a half.
The plumage of the adult bird in winter is unknown; but it is probable that it only

loses the black and the rose-colour, which belong to the breeding-season.”’

Lesser Tern (Sterna minuta).—This, the smallest of the Terns that visit our shores,
is the type of a group of small Terns, called by some Sternula. I have often watched
the Lesser Tern in Scotland paddling along on a sandy shore, hunting for the
dainties exposed by a falling tide. They lay two or three eggs in any depression
in the ground. Those in my collection were taken by the River Eden, N.B., just
above high-water mark. They are often met with at sea in the vicinity of land; and
I have a specimen in winter plumage that I caught on board ship off the Island of
Ascension.

Dresser, in ‘ Birds of Hurope,’ says:—‘‘ The range of this, the least of our European
Terns, is not so extensive as that of some of its allies. It is met with throughout
temperate Hurope, occurring in winter on the coast of West Africa as far as the Cape
of Good Hope; and it is also found in Western Asia.”

Mr. H. Saunders says:—‘‘ This Tern, which has dark shafts to the outer primaries,
and the rump and tail white, ranges through temperate Kurope to India; occurs in winter
on coast of West Africa as far as the Cape of Good Hope, whence there is a specimen
in the British Museum.”

It is thus described by Yarrell, ‘British Birds’ (vol. iii. p. 412):—‘*In the adult
bird in summer the beak is orange, tipped with black; irides dusky; forehead white, crown
of the head and the nape jet-black; back and wings uniform delicate pearl-grey, the first,
second, and sometimes the third primary slate-grey; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers
white, tail forked; chin, throat, sides of the neck, breast, and all the under surface of
the body pure white; legs, toes, and membranes orange. ‘The whole length of the bird
rather more than eight inches; from the wrist to the end of the wing, six inches and

three-quarters. The adult bird in winter only varies in having the head dull black, instead

66 OCEAN BIRDS.

of deep black.” The young bird is speckled on back and head, with bill and legs

pale brown.

The Southern Seas representative of the Lesser Tern is called by Gould, Sternula nereis.
He says:—‘‘Sternula nereis is a beautiful representative in the Southern Ocean of the Lesser
Tern of the European seas, the habits, actions, and economy of both being precisely the
same.” It is, however, rather larger, like most of the southern representatives. Describing
it, Mr. H. Saunders says:—‘‘This species, which appears to be confined to Australia
and New Zealand, may be distinguished from the other small Terns by its somewhat larger
size; the pale grey of the mantle, and especially of the primaries; and by its having

no black lores, but only a dark spot in front of the eye.” The adult bird is ten inches long.

A little Tern, almost exactly similar to our Lesser Tern, is Sterna antillarum, concerning
which Mr. H. Saunders says :—‘‘ Similar to the above (S. minuta), and has also dark shafts
to primaries; but the rump and tail-coverts are pearl-grey, like the mantle; and there is but
little black at tip of bill. Ranges throughout temperate America, on both coasts, and down
to the Antilles, Trinidad, lat. 10° N.”

Another of these little Terns is Sterna sinensis, thus described by Mr. Howard Saunders :—
“Like S. minuta, but shafts of outer primaries white; as a rule also the bird is a trifle larger
and stouter, and has a longer development of lateral tail-feathers than S. minuta.” In
the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society,’ 1875, Part III., the bird is thus described :—
‘“With one blackish primary, from 7:25 to 6°9 inches in length; the bill long, and not
exceeding 1:3; vent and shorter under tail-coverts light iron-grey; feet clear orange.” On

an Australian voyage would probably be only seen as we approached Australia.

Sterna balenarum is thus described by Mr. Saunders:—‘‘In this species there is no
white frontlet, the black feathers coming down to the base of the bill, which is slender
and black, except at the gape; the tail is grey, like the mantle; and the tarsi and feet
are the smallest of those of the group. The shafts of the primaries are white. Wabirch

Bay to the Cape of Good Hope is its range, so far as is known.”

These complete the list of little Terns (called sometimes Sternula) that we should
be likely to meet with on the voyage to Australia. There are several species of this
group peculiar to the West Coast of America.

THe GULL-BILLED Tern (Sterna anglica)—This Tern may always be recognised by

reason of its bill being of the Gull-shape. As its Southern Seas representative (S. macrotarsa

LARIDA. 67

of Gould) is identically the same, this bird has a most extensive range. Mr. Saunders
says :—From Western Europe to the China seas, throughout India, Ceylon, and the Malay
region down to Australia, and along the East Coast of America as far as Patagonia; on
the Pacific side it has only been observed in Guatemala.”

This Tern has occasionally been met with in Great Britain. It appears to have
been originally confounded with the Sandwich Tern, but first pronounced a distinct species
by Montagu, who named it S. anglica, not knowing it existed elsewhere.

It is thus described by Yarrell, ‘ British Birds’ (vol. iii. p. 409):—‘*In the adult in
summer the bill is black, and one inch and a quarter in length from the point to the
feathers on the forehead; the angle at the symphisis of the lower mandible rather prominent ;
irides reddish brown; forehead, crown, and nape jet-black; neck behind greyish white;
back, scapulars, wings, the coverts, secondaries and tertials, upper tail-coverts and
tail-feathers uniform pale ash-grey; the outside web of the first primary slate-grey, the
other primaries pearl-grey; chin, throat, breast, and all the under surface white; legs,
toes, membranes, and claws black. The whole length of the bird figured from and described,
fifteen inches and a half; wing from the wrist, thirteen inches.’’ In winter the head

is white.

Tue Sooty Tern (Sterna fuliginosa)—There are several varieties of Sooty Terns, but
this bird and Sterna anestheta are the only two we should come across on an Australian
voyage. These two are very much alike; but Mr. Howard Saunders explains to us, in his
article on the Sternine, that they may always be recognised, amongst other distinctions, by
their different feet. The Sooty Tern (S. fuliginosa) is a wonderful flyer, and has about the
largest geographical range of all the Terns. It has been shot in England, and is very
plentiful round Australia. The Island of Ascension is one of its great head-quarters.
There they assemble in thousands, and are called “ wide-awakes.” Wilson says, in Capt.
Cooke’s voyage, it has been seen 100 leagues from shore. ‘Thus in many parts of an
Australian voyage it is almost certain to be met with.

Gould thus describes it (under the name of S. serrata) in ‘ Birds of Australia’ (vol. i.
p. 408):—‘*This common species appears to be very generally distributed on the seas
surrounding Australia, but to be less numerous on the southern than on the western,
northern, and eastern coasts. It is now supposed to be the same species which frequents
the shores of the countries washed by the Atlantic, both north and south, and that examples
from North America and Australia are not different; if this be the case, no bird of its

family enjoys so wide a range over the globe. ‘The colouring of the species is as follows :—
S

68 OCEAN BIRDS.

Lores, crown of the head, and back of the neck deep black; the apical half, the shaft,
and the outer web of the lateral tail-feathers white, passing into grey on the lower part of
the addomen and under tail-coverts; irides dark brown; bill black; feet brownish black.”’

Yarrell tells us one was shot in October, 1852, at Tutbury, Burton-on-Trent, and
therefore includes it in his ‘British Birds.’ He thus describes it:—‘‘The whole length
of the bird, fourteen inches and a half; wing, from flexure, eleven inches, and extending
one inch beyond the end of the tail, but in the adult bird the outside tail-feathers on
each side extend for two inches beyond the ends of the closed wings, giving a length
of seventeen inches to the fully-adult bird; the leg and middle toe equal in length, each
measuring one inch.”

Dresser says:—‘‘ Found numerously on the southern coast of the United States and
of Central America; the present species is common on some of the islands in the Atlantic,
on parts of the African coast, being somewhat rarer on the coast of Asia, though tolerably
common and generally distributed in the Australian seas; but to Europe it is an extremely
rare straggler.”

At the January Meeting, 1886, of the Zoological Society, Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited
an adult specimen caught alive, near Bath, October, 1885, and pointed out that only two

examples of this species had as yet occurred in Great Britain.

Sterna anestheta is called by Gould the Panayan Turn, S. panayensis. He says it is
common on the West Coast of Australia. Mr. Howard Saunders gives it the same
eeographical range as S. fuliginosa. It is thus described by Gould, ‘Birds of Australia’
(vol. ii. p. 418):—‘ Forehead, line over the eye, chin, and throat white; lores, crown
of the head, and nape black; back, wings, and tail light sooty brown, the outer tail-
feathers being white at the base and on the outer web for two-thirds of its length; edge
of the shoulder and under surface of the wing white; under surface white, slightly washed
with grey; irides blackish brown; bill black; legs and feet blackish green.”

Seebohm calls this bird the Smaller Sooty Tern.

Genus ANOUS, Leach.

“The Noddies,” remarks Mr. Jerdon, ‘‘are well-known oceanic birds, frequenting
tropical and juxta-tropical seas. They differ from most Terns in their even or somewhat
rounded tails; and still more in the manner of their flight, which is steady and slow.
They settle on the water when taking their food, which consists chiefly of mollusks and
fatty matter; and they are very silent birds. Sundevall, who noted these differences,
states that in their mode of life they resemble Petrels rather than Terns.”

LARIDA. 69

‘Unlike other Terns which frequent the sea-shores and rivers, the Noddies frequent
the wide ocean, far remote from land, and which, like the Petrels, they seldom quit, except
at the breeding-season, when they congregate in vast multitudes on small islands suited to
the purpose.” —Gould, ‘Birds of Australia,’ vol. ii. p. 412.

Audubon says the Noddies never rest on the ground; but there appears to be a difference

of opinion on this subject.

Mr. Howard Saunders describes five members of the genus. On the Australian voyage we

should only expect to meet two.

Noppy TERN (Anous stolidus)—The following interesting account of several ocean birds
(including this bird) appeared in the ‘ Field,’ June, 1886, in an account of the Chesterfield
Reefs, by Mr. Layard :—

“Long Island is about one and a half miles in length, by one hundred yards across in the broadest
place. About a mile at one end is thickly covered with trees, all of an equal height of about forty feet.
I do not know what botanical genus they belong to, but the wood was so brittle that a branch as thick as
my leg could be snapped in two as easily as breaking a carrot, so that climbing for eggs was a dangerous
amusement. When the wood dried, it was so friable that it would not burn. The tree had bunches of
seeds so glutinous that I often found the wretched Terns dying of starvation on the ground, with their
wings and tails so tightly glued together that they could not fly, and it took me some trouble to release
them. It was a curious sight; whenever a nest could be placed on a forked branch or a projecting knot of
a tree-trunk, there a nest was. It was a rather thick but perfectly flat structure of dried leaves or seaweed,
but round about the houses the birds picked up any old rags, bits of paper, twine, &c. Every nest had a
bird, old or young, on it, and the screaming from the millions of Terns was something deafening. The
sreater number of the birds were the white-headed sooty-bodied Terns (Anous melanops and A. stolidus) ;
but there were also thousands of Great Boobies (Sula fusca and S. personata) and Frigate Birds, who built
their large nests on the tops of the trees, where it was almost impossible to get at them. The beautiful
Tropic Birds, or ‘ Boatswains,’ had all been driven off the island by the Malabar guano-diggers, who
killed them on their nests to get their feathers to stuff mattrasses and pillows. The whole island also was
completely honeycombed with the burrows of the Black Petrels, or Mutton Birds (Puffinus brevicaudus).”

Yarrell tells us that the reason this bird is so often caught on board ship is ‘‘ because
it does not see well by night, and it is for this reason it frequently alights on the spars
of vessels, where it sleeps so soundly that the seamen often catch them.”

Mr. Howard Saunders, in his article on the Sternine, says of this bird :—‘‘ This well-known
species, a straggler to the British seas, ranges from the gulf-coast of North America to the
shores of Australia, throughout Polynesia, and occurs, in fact, in all tropical waters. There
appears to be no constant difference between individuals from the most distant localities ;
and this similarity applies to its habits and breeding, its single egg being deposited on a nest
of seaweed placed on mangrove bushes, in the fork of a tree, or even on the bare rock.”

The bird is thus described by Yarrell, ‘ British Birds’ (vol. iii. p. 420:—‘‘In the adult

70 OCEAN BIRDS.

bird the bill is black, from the base of the bill to the eye is also black; irides brown;
the forehead and crown buff-colour; occiput smoke-grey; the whole of the body above
and below and all the wing-coverts dark chocolate-brown; primaries and _ tail-feathers
brownish black; legs, toes, membranes, and claws black. The whole length of the specimen
here figured and described, fourteen inches and a half to the end of the tail, which is
craduated, the middle pair of feathers being the longest; the wing, from the carpal-joint

to the end of the first quill-feather, ten inches and a half.”

Lesser Noppy (Anous melanops).—This Noddy is very abundant in the Australian seas.
Gould accounts for this from the fact that they roost up high, and thus escape the attacks
of a small lizard that destroys multitudes of the other Noddies. He thus describes it in
‘Birds of Australia’ (vol. ii. p. 419):—‘*Crown of the head and back of the neck light
ash-colour, passing into deep grey on the mantle and back; immediately before the eyes
a large patch, and behind a smaller one, of jet-black ; posterior half of the lower and a
smaller space on the upper lash snow-white; throat, fore part of the neck, and all the
under surface deep sooty-black; wings and all the under surface of the same colour, but
rather browner; bill black; tarsi and toes brownish black. Total length, 12 to 13 inches;

tail, 21; wing, 83; tail, 5; tarsi, 3; middle toe and nail, 1}.”

CHAPTER II.

THE GULLS.

‘Away on the winds we plume our wings,
And soar, the freest of all free things ;
Oh! the Sea Gull leads a merry life
In the glassy calm or tempest strife.”

Exiza Cook.

of Gulls, fifteen of which may be called British and three Australian. Though
the Gulls are more birds of the sea-shore than the ocean, a ship would
certainly be followed by various members of the family all down the Thames,
the English Channel, and well into the Bay of Biscay; also on the voyage the ship would
be visited, when nearing land, by those Gulls peculiar to the locality; and lastly, the
Australian Gulls would accompany the vessel from Cape Otway to its destination.

In the following pages I have endeavoured to describe twenty-two different species that
we might thus fall in with on an Australian voyage. This includes all the Gulls of both
Great Britain and Australia.

The individual variations in plumage of this subfamily are even more perplexing than
the Terns, as, besides the seasonal changes, they are a matter of three years in assuming
the complete adult dress.* This is a wonderful provision of Nature to enable them to gain
experience in the ways of the world (clad in a less conspicuous garb) before exposing
themselves to its dangers in a more marked and easier discerned plumage. But for a similar
thoughtful arrangement the Golden Pheasant must have long ago become extinct. The males
are considerably larger than the females, but alike in plumage. Some of the smaller Gulls
resemble the Terns in assuming a dark-coloured head during the breeding-season. They
assemble together in vast numbers for breeding purposes, nesting on the rocks; or inland,

* I suppose a Darwinian would say that this is the result of the gradual survival of only those birds
that postpone their adult plumage longest.

r

72 OCEAN BIRDS.

near rivers and lakes, on the ground; and sometimes, but rarely, in trees. They appear
to sleep equally well in three positions,—standing on one leg, squatting on the ground, or
floating on the water.* Mr. Howard Saunders divides this great subfamily into five distinct

genera, of which more anon.

THe Common Gutu (Larus canus, Linn.).—For many years I kept three Common Gulls
in a garden, and most entertaining they were. They spent most of their time on a lake,
but always came up to the house to be fed, and tapped vigorously at the windows if no food
was forthcoming. Some were pinioned, some not. ‘Those that could fly would take long
excursions, but always returned at night. They all had a rooted aversion to dogs, especially
one that had been retrieved twice one morning by an officiously-clever retriever: clever
because, though the Gull was caught and carried about a hundred yards, it was not in the
least hurt; officious, because nobody wanted it retrieved at all, as it was quietly walking
about in its own arena. It was, however, done so well that when some time afterwards I lost
a brood of Golden. Pheasants, I employed the same dog; and he found the whole number,
one by one, squatting in different parts of the garden, and carried them back to their
foster-mother, unhurt. Unfortunately for the Gulls, our chickens began mysteriously to
disappear. ‘Two, of a different species (Lesser Black-backs), were at last caught red-handed,
striding off at a tremendous pace with a chicken apiece; and the edict went forth to get
rid of all the Gulls. So perhaps the innocent suffered with the guilty. At the sea-side
their favourite spot seems to be the mouth of a sewer; in shore they love following the
plough to feed on the newly turned-up delicacies; our specimens simply ate anything
that was given them; so with such an “all-round” appetite they may very likely have
occasionally grabbed a chicken on the sly. An east wind always brings these Gulls up
the Thames in great numbers, and the longer it lasts and the harder it blows the farther
up they seem to travel, On the 19th of August, 1886, I saw a procession of twelve fly
solemnly over our house at Blackheath.

Mr. Howard Saunders says few species differ so much in individual size. He says it
appears to be a species which attains its greatest development in the north and east, and
deteriorates in size as it ranges south and west. He gives its range, ‘Throughout the
Palearctic region, but very rare in Iceland; once in Labrador.” On an Australian voyage we
should be followed by them all down the River Thames and the English Channel.

The bird is thus described in Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds’ (vol. i. p. 454) :—‘‘In the adult

* In September, 1886, the electric launch ‘Volga’ passed a Common Gull between Dover and Calais
so sound asleep that they lifted it on board.

LARIDA. 78

bird in summer the bill is greenish grey at the base, towards the point yellow; irides dark
brown, edges of the eye-lids red; the whole head and neck pure white; the back and all the
wing-coverts pearl-grey, secondaries and tertials the same, but broadly edged and tipped with
white ; primaries black on the outer web, with a small portion of pearl-grey at the base of the
inner web, the proportion of grey increasing on each primary in succession; the first and
second primary with a patch of white on both webs near the end, but the extreme tips of both
are black; the third, fourth, fifth, have white tips, but the first set of primary quill-feathers,
which the young bird carries for the first fifteen months, have no white at the tips. Few
birds moult their first set of quill-feathers in their first autumn. ‘Tail-coverts and tail-feathers
pure white; chin, neck in front, breast, and all the under surface of the body and tail pure
white ; legs and feet dark greenish ash. The whole length of an old male, eighteen inches and
a half; of the wing, from the point, fourteen inches and a half. The length of an old female
about half an inch less; and of the wing, half an inch less. In the winter the whole head and
the sides of the neck are streaked and spotted with dusky brown and ash-brown. A young
bird in its first autumn has the basal portion of the bill yellowish brown, the part anterior to
the nostrils nearly black; irides dusky; head, sides of the neck, the ear-coverts and occiput
dull white, mottled with greyish-brown; the back, wing-coverts, secondaries and tertials
brownish-ash ; the feathers edged with paler brown; a few bluish-grey feathers on the centre
and sides of the back; the primaries nearly black, both as to the shafts and greater part of
the webs, all but the front being tipped with brown; upper tail-coverts dull white ; tail-feathers
white, the outer half black, except the outer feather on each side, which has the outer web
white ; chin and throat white; neck in front, the breast, and all the under surface of the body
mottled with light ash-brown, on a ground of white; legs and feet pale greyish-brown; the
claws black.”

This is one of the Gulls that occasionally build in trees, but never high up. As a rule,
they build in marsh or rock in some slight depression, which they fill up with grass or
sea-weed. They lay two or three eggs of a dark olive-brown, blotched over with black.

All my specimens are nearly exactly alike.

Tue Lesser Buack-BpackeD GuLL (Larus fuscus)—I had two immature specimens of
this species for some time in a garden in the hope of noting their change of plumage.
Unfortunately their thieving propensities more than counterbalanced my ornithological zeal,
and I was obliged to get rid of them before they arrived at the adult state. They would eat
anything, or try to; nothing came amiss,—bread, meat, bones, newspapers, golf balls and

tennis balls; one and all were taken to a large bowl of water to be well soaked, and then, if

74 OCEAN BIRDS.

possible, swallowed. Of fish they were inordinately fond, and always kept close at hand
if anybody was fishing on the lake, in the hope of getting a roach or dace thrown to them.
If we had a rat hunt they invariably joined the dogs, and carried off the dead rats to their
favourite bowl of water. On the journey the larger one would start off with his dainty,
puffed out with feathers on end like a porcupine, growling and muttering in a fearfully
defiant manner, and followed at a respectful distance by his mate. This was all very well ;
but they finally took to eating young ducks, chickens, and hen’s-eggs; so were summarily
dismissed. Though pinioned, they could fly from the lake up to our house; about two
hundred yards. This they always did on being called for their one o’clock meal.

This species is very common all round our shores, and is perhaps the most numerous
of our British Sea Gulls. They are not much appreciated by the fishermen, as they assemble
in vast numbers and steal the fish out of the nets in the most barefaced way. Mr. H. Saunders
says they are met with in ‘‘the North of Europe, the Faroes, the Baltic, Russia as far east
as Archangel, the British Isles, the French coast, and the Canaries.’”’ We might therefore
frequently fall in with them on the commencement of an outward voyage to Australia.

In Yarrell’s ‘British Birds’ (vol. iii. p. 467) the bird is thus described :—‘‘ The adult
bird in summer has the bill yellow, the inferior angle on the lower mandible red; irides
straw-colour; head, and the whole of the neck all round, pure white; back, wing-coverts,
and all the wing-feathers dark slate-grey, the tips only of some of the longer scapulars
and tertials being white, and white tips to the shorter primaries; upper tail-coverts and
tail-feathers white; breast, belly, and all the under surface of the body and tail, pure white ;
legs and feet yellow. The whole length, twenty-three inches; from the anterior joint of the
wing to the end of the longest quill-feather, sixteen inches. In winter the head and neck are
streaked with dusky brown. A young male at one year old has the base of the bill pale
brown, the rest horny-black; irides dark brown; head, sides and back of the neck white,
streaked longitudinally with dusky-brown; back, and all the wing-coverts and the tertials
ash-brown, the feathers margined with white, but the shaft of each feather deep brown,
forming a dark line down the centre; primaries and secondaries blackish-brown, without any
white at the tips; upper tail-coverts white, tail-feathers blackish-brown, varied with some
white, the central feathers having the most dark colour, the outside ones the most white ;
chin and neck in front white; breast, belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts white, mottled with
dusky-brown ; legs and feet light brown.”

Mr. Howard Saunders says:—‘‘The distinguishing characteristics of the adult of this
species are its dark slate-coloured mantle, chrome-yellow legs and feet, and the shortness

of the foot compared with the tarsus.”

* LARIDA. 75

Concerning its nesting, Mr. Hewitson says that these birds ‘‘appear to prefer those
islands which are the most rocky, and upon which there is the least herbage, and, though
they have their choice, very few of them deposit their eggs upon the grass, and yet they
rarely lay them without making a tolerably thick nest for their reception; it is of grass,
loosely bundled together in large pieces, and placed in some slight depression or hollow
of the rock. They lay two or three eggs, varying in their shades of colour from a dark
olive-brown to a light drab, thickly spotted with ash-grey, and two shades of brown; the

length of the egg about two inches ten lines, by one inch and eleven lines in breadth.”

Larus dominicanus is a sort of southern representative of the Lesser Black-backed Gull.
Mr. Howard Saunders says it is found in New Zealand, Kerguelen Island, and the other
islands between it and Cape of Good Hope; also the Falkland Islands, Patagonia, &c. He
says :—‘‘ The deep brown-black of the mantle, as distinct from the slate-black of L. fuscus,
and its strong bill and larger size will distinguish L. dominicanus from that species; it is
smaller than L. marinus (Great Black-backed Gull), has a different pattern of primaries,

and has olivaceous-coloured legs and feet.”

Larus belcheri is also much like our Lesser Black-back, only stouter, and with a black
band on its tail. On an Australian voyage it might be met with off Cape Horn. The
immature bird has a dark hood.

Larus scoresbii might also be met with oft Cape Horn. Mr. Saunders says it is a very
well-marked species, from its short, stout, crimson bill, and coarse legs and feet, the web of

the latter being a good deal incised. Like ZL. belcheri, it has a dark hood when immature.

Great Buack-BackeD GutL (Larus marinus)—This large Gull is fairly common along
the mouth of the Thames, where it remains all the year round. At Westgate-on-Sea, in the
month of July, they were about the only Gulls I saw, and very few of them. (Perhaps this
is because there are so few shell-fish on these shores.) They were all in immature plumage,
and called by the local fishermen ‘‘Grey Gulls” or ‘‘Cobs.’’ This immature appearance
lasts three years, and in some places they are then called ‘‘ Wagels.” I shot one of these,
together with an adult bird, from a bathing-machine, at Aldborough, Suffolk, both of which
are now in my collection of British birds. In Mr. HE. T. Booth’s wonderful collection,
at Brighton, there are some adult specimens, represented attacking a Highland lamb. In
his Catalogue he says he has seen wounded mallard and wigeon fly from the attack of
these Gulls, and pitch close to the shooters for safety. Mr. Saunders gives their range

U

76 OCEAN BIRDS.

as follows: —‘‘Northern and temperate Europe and Iceland (breeding), visiting the
Mediterranean in winter, as far as Greece; the Canaries, and probably the Azores.”

The bird is thus described by Yarrell, ‘ British Birds’ (vol. iil. p. 474):—‘‘ The adult
bird in summer has the bill pale yellow, the inferior angle of the under mandible
reddish-orange, the whole bill very large and strong; the irides straw-yellow, the edges of
the eyelids orange; head and neck pure white; back, wing-coverts, scapularies, secondaries,
and tertials lead-grey, the feathers of the three latter series ending in white; primaries
nearly black, the first and second quill-feathers with a triangular white patch, forming the
end of each feather, the second quill-feather having a black spot in the white; all the
others tipped with white, the inner broad webs being lead-grey; upper tail-coverts and
tail-feathers pure white; chin, throat, breast, belly, and all the under surface of the body and
tail pure white ; legs and feet flesh-colour. In winter the crown of the head and the occiput
are slightly streaked with ash-grey. The whole length of an adult male is thirty inches,
and sometimes rather more; the wing, from the carpal joint to the end of the longest
quill-feather, twenty inches. The female measures twenty-seven inches, and her wings
nineteen inches.”

They construct a grassy nest on marsh or rock, and lay three eggs of yellowish-greenish-
brown, blotched with slate-grey and dark brown; three inches two lines in length, by two
inches and four lines in breadth. This is the only ‘ Black-back’’ which, when adult, has
flesh-colowred legs and feet.

The southern representative of this bird is the Pacifie Gull, Larus pacificus, which is
confined to Australia. It has a very deep and powerful bill, of an orange-colour, and yellow
legs. In the adult the tail is crossed by a black band. Its flight, too, is superior to our
Great Black-back, otherwise they are much alike. We should be pretty certain to meet
this species on nearing Australia.

Herring Gut (Larus argentatus).—Mr. E. T. Booth says that from his own observation the
farmer rather than the game-preserver would have a right to complain of the damage caused
by this species. He has noticed that when frightened (as, for instance, when fired at) they
throw up grain. It does not, however, belie its English name, as it is extremely fond of fish;
and Mr. Yarrell tells us it is called ‘“ Pescatore” by the Italian fishermen. I had a tame
one for some years that spent most of the summer months on a lake, feeding on the smaller
fish, and only coming to the house to be fed in the winter. It pouched all its food,
and then used to walk off, looking suspiciously all around, with its neck puffed out nearly

the size of its body. This pouching seems common to all the Laride, also the habit of

LARIDA. 77

throwing it up when frightened. This is known by the Skua Gull, and taken advantage
of whenever an opportunity occurs. A raven, after pouching an enormous amount of food,
hides it away in various holes; but I never saw a Gull do this.

The Herring Gull is thus described by Yarrell (‘ British Birds,’ vol. iii. p. 470) :—* The
adult bird in summer has the bill yellow, the angle of the under mandible red; edges of
the eyelids orange, the irides straw-yellow; head and neck all round pure white; the back,
and all the wing-coverts uniform delicate French grey; tertials tipped with white; primaries
mostly black, but grey on the basal portion of the inner web; the first primary with a
triangular patch of white at the end, the second and third with smaller portions of white ;
upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers pure white; chin, throat, breast, belly, and all the
under surface of the body and tail, pure white; legs and feet flesh-colour. The whole
length from twenty-two inches to twenty-four and a half, depending upon age and sex;
the wing from sixteen inches and a half to seventeen and a quarter. In winter the adult
birds have the head streaked with dusky-grey. Young birds resemble the young of the
Lesser Black-backed Gull, but the legs and feet are more livid in colour.”

Mr. H. Saunders gives its range as follows:—‘‘The North-west of Europe from the
Varanger Fiord, the Baltic, the western coasts down to North Africa, the Azores (where
it breeds), Madeira, and the Canaries.” He also says:—‘‘There can be no doubt that
examples from northern latitudes have a somewhat lighter mantle than those from more
temperate regions, although the transition is very gradual.’’

Mr. Yarrell says:—‘‘ These Gulls make a nest of grass on the ledges and other flat
portions of the cliff near the top, where they lay three eggs, which closely resemble those
of the Lesser Black-backed Gull. They are of a light olive-brown, spotted with two shades
of dark brown, and measure two inches and a half in length, by one inch and three-quarters

in breadth.”

Guavucous Guti (Larus glaucus)—This is really a Gull of the Arctic regions, but goes
southwards in the winter, and visits the British Isles. Still it is not likely we shall fall in with
it on an Australian voyage, so I will merely say it is a Great Black-backed Gull in size and

shape, only all white. Yarrell calls it the Large White-winged Gull.

The Icrtanp Guu (Larus leucopterus) is still more arctic, and is, like the Lesser Black-
backed Gull, only white. Yarrell calls it the Lesser White-winged Gull. It has been taken

in this country.

78 OCEAN BIRDS.

Goutp’s Sinver Guii (Larus nove-hollandie).* — This bird, the Silver Gull (Larus
scopulinus), and Larus hartlaubi, are all very much alike, and very closely related. Gould’s
Silver Gull is the largest and has less black on the three outer primaries, and should be met
with off Sardinia. The Silver Gull is essentially a New Zealand Gull. It is thus described by
Gould (‘Birds of Australia,’ vol. ii. p. 888):—‘* The two sexes are precisely alike in colour.
Head, neck, and all the under surface and tail, white; back and wings delicate grey; primaries
white, eccentrically marked with black, largely on their inner and narrowly on their outer
webs, and largely tipped with the same hue, with a slight fringe of white at the extremity ; |
eye-lash, bill, legs, and feet, deep blood-red; nails black; irides pearl-white.” Larus
hartlaubi would be met with off the Cape of Good Hope. Mr. Saunders says it may be
recognised from its two close allies by its smaller size, proportionately longer and slenderer
bill, which is of a rich crimson, and by the more sooty colour of the under wing-coverts,

especially along the carpal joint.

Buacx-Heapep Guu (Larus ridibundus).—I used to watch these birds with great interest
between the intervals of golf, at St. Andrew’s. They seemed regularly to follow the tide out to
its furthest limits, and then fly out to sea a short distance and settle in enormous flocks till
the next ebb; so that we could always tell the state of the tide by their behaviour. They
seemed to make good use of their time on shore, as the sand was literally covered with
smashed-up shells. In summer their black heads and red bills, legs, and feet made them very

conspicuous. This black head is a real change of colour, and not a moult.

The Laveutne Guuu (Larus atricilla) is almost identical with the Black-headed Gull,
but is shghtly larger. It may, however, always be recognised by its black primaries. One

was obtained by Col. Montagu at Winchelsea, Sussex.

The Masxep Gutu (Larus melanocephalus) was also once obtained in England. It much

resembles a small Black-headed Gull, only the black is more like a mask than a hood.

All these three species might be met with in the English Channel; though the Laughing

’ : d : : :
Gull, being an American species, would certainly be a rara avis.+

Lirtte Guii (Larus minutus).—This Gull is the smallest of all the genus, and is a rare
visitant to Great Britain. Yarrell says that on more than one occasion, when shot in this
country, it was associated with Terns.

* Mr. J. A. Froude, in ‘Oceana,’ says, on nearing Melbourne, * The Albatross had left us; we were attended

now by flights of the small, beautifully white Australian Gull.”
+ A Norfolk gamekeeper once told me he had shot a Woodpecker, called the ‘‘ Rara-avis.”

LARID. 79

A specimen in summer plumage is thus described in Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds’:—* Bill
reddish-brown ; irides very dark brown; the whole of the head and the upper part of the neck
all round is black; the neck below white; the back, wing-coverts, and wings, uniform pale
ash-grey ; the outer primaries darker grey, with white at the end and on the inner margin of
the web; upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers white ; the tail in form square at the end, and all
the under surface of the body and under tail-coverts white; legs, toes, and membranes
vermilion. An adult bird in winter has the bill almost black; irides dark brown; forehead
and upper part of neck in front, and on the sides, pure white; occiput and nape of the neck
streaked with greyish black on a white ground; a dusky spot under the eye, and an elongated
patch of dusky black falling downwards from the ear-coverts; all the other parts as in summer.”
Whole length, ten inches and one-eighth. On an Australian voyage we should only expect to
see this Gull in British waters.

BonaparTEAN Guuu (Larus philadelphia).— Another Gull with a brown head in summer
turning white in winter. Mentioned by Yarrell in ‘Appendix to British Birds’ as a rare
winter visitant to our shores. Much like a Tern in its movements. Thus described by
Yarrell :—‘‘ Neck, tail-coverts, tail, whole under plumage, and interior of the wings, pure
white ; hood greyish-black, extending half an inch over the nape, and as much lower on the
throat; mantle pearl-grey, this colour extending to the tips of the tertiaries, secondaries, and
two posterior primaries; the anterior border of the wings white; the outer web of the first
primary, and the ends of the first six are deep black, most of them slightly tipped with white ;
the inner web of the first primary, with the outer webs of the three following ones, with their
shafts, are pure white; bill shining black; inside of the mouth and the legs bright carmine-
red; irides dark brown. Whole length, fourteen inches to fifteen inches and a half; wings,
from the bend to the end of the longest quill-feather, ten inches. The female is a little
smaller than the male.” We should only expect to meet this little Gull at the very commence-
ment of the voyage to Australia; and as this is an American species it would be very unlikely

even there.

Sapine’s Guii (Xema Sabinii)—The distinguishing character of the genus Xema is the
forked tail, giving the Gull a Tern-like appearance. Mr. Saunders only includes two in the
genus, and of those two we might possibly meet this one in British waters, as it has been
obtained in Great Britain. It has a dark-coloured head in summer, which it loses in winter.
Resembles the Black-headed Gull in appearance, only has primaries nearly quite black, black
and yellow bill; legs, feet, and claws black; a forked tail, and is only thirteen inches long.

x

80 OCEAN BIRDS.

CUNEATE-TAILED GULL (Khodostethia rosea).—This arctic Gull has a genus all to itself, on
account of its cuneate tail, by which it may always be recognised. It is often called Ross’s Gull.
Yarrell includes it in his ‘Appendix to British Birds,’ so it would be possible to come
across it in British waters. It has a reddish white head, neck, and under parts; pearl-grey

back; black bill; and red legs and feet. Whole length, fourteen inches.

Ivory Guin (Pagophila eburnea).—Another arctic Gull and very rare visitant to Great
Britain that has a genus all to itself. Mr. Howard Saunders says:—‘‘ The short stout bill,
coarse rough feet with serrated membranes, much excised webs, and strong curved claws,
appear to entitle this species to generic separation.”

It is thus described in Yarrell’s ‘British Birds,’ vol. ii. {p. 451:—‘‘ The adult bird in
summer has the bill greenish grey at the base and about the nostrils, the anterior portion
yellow; the irides brown; eyelids red at the edge; the whole of the plumage, including the
wing and tail-feathers, a pure and delicate white; the legs short and black. Whole length
from sixteen to eighteen inches.”

Kirrtwake Guu (Rissa tridactyla)—The genus Rissa consists of two species of Gulls, only
one of which we should expect to meet on an Australian voyage. The Kittiwake may always
be known by the absence of any hind toe, which is represented by a small tubercle only. On
this account the species is called tridactyla, three-toed. The name Kittiwake is, from the
peculiar note of the bird, supposed to resemble that three-syllable word.

This Gull is common all round the British coast, but hardly ever met with inland. It
builds in the rocks, and lays three eggs of a light greenish-grey, spotted with ash-grey and
brown. They do not, however, seem to be very particular about the material, as I was told
that once, when a ship bringing home tobacco was wrecked off Scilly, all the Kittiwakes far
and wide used the tobacco for their nests.

The bird is thus described by Yarrell (‘ British Birds,’ vol. iii. p. 447):—‘‘ The adult bird
in summer at the breeding-station has the bill greenish yellow, the mouth inside orange; the
irides dark brown; the head and the neck all round pure white; back and wings French grey,
the secondaries and tertials tipped or edged with white ; the outer margin of the first primary
quill-feather black, the next three tipped with black, the fifth with a black patch near the end,
but the extremity white ; tail-coverts and tail-feathers pure white; chin, throat, breast, and all
the under surface of the body and tail pure white; legs rather short, and dusky in colour, the
toes and interdigital membranes also; the hind toe only a small tubercle, without any
projecting horny nail or claw. The whole length fifteen inches and a half; from the anterior

joint of the wing to the end of the longest quill-feather, twelve inches.

LARIDA. 81

“The adult bird in winter has the lower part of the neck behind French grey, like the
back; the occiput, top of the head, and the region of the ear-coverts streaked with dark grey,
the other parts as in summer. Young birds of the year have the bill black; the irides dusky,
almost black; upper part of the head white; the occiput and nape with a few dusky grey
patches on a white ground; the lower part of the neck behind marked by numerous blackish
grey feathers, forming transverse crescentic bands; back, scapularies, great wing-coverts, and
secondaries French grey; point of the wing, and the series of smaller wing-coverts nearly
black, forming a conspicuous dark stripe down the wing when closed, and across it when
expanded ; tertials French grey, with a spot of black near the end, the inner broad web varied
with white; tail-coverts and tail-feathers white, the latter black at the end, forming a
conspicuous transverse bar; the middle tail-feathers having the largest portion of black, the
outer tail-feather on each side the smallest; chin, neck, breast, and all the under surface of
the body pure white; under tail-coverts white, tail-feathers white at the base, ending in dark
or lead-grey ; legs, toes, and membranes pale brown.”

Mr. Howard Saunders gives its range as follows:—‘‘Arctic region, and along the
sea-coasts of the Subarctic region, down to about 40° N. lat., breeding perhaps even in the
Canaries; in winter it is abundant about the Azores, Canaries, and opposite coast of Africa.
In America it is found on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts, but does not seem to extend far
down the latter, nor to Japan or China, even in winter.” There are therefore numerous places

where we might expect to fall in with it on an Australian voyage.

( 82 )

CHAPTER III.

THE SKUA GUE Es:

“They were, in truth, great rascals, and belonged to that genus who find things
before they are lost.”—Grmm.

SHERE are six distinct species of Skuas, four of which are included in our

British fauna. They are far more courageous than the true Gulls, and are all

armed with a powerful hooked beak and claws. Their now generally adopted
generic name is Stercorarius ; though Lestris, ‘‘a robber’’ or ‘‘pirate-vessel”’ is often used, and
is certainly very appropriate. They are sometimes called ‘Parasitic Gulls,” as to a great
extent they live by robbing their weaker brethren. The name of ‘ Skua’’ is from the note of
the bird, which sounds like “skui.” All the Skuas are thoroughly oceanic in habit, and are
found in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres.

Tue Common Sxuva (Stercorarius catarrhactes).—The illustration, Pl. VI., Fig. 10, of the head
and feet of this Skua Gull is the life-size portrait of a specimen in my collection of British
birds. Mr. Howard Saunders says the range of this species is the most restricted of any
member of this family which breeds in the northern hemisphere. As a species he says it is
nowhere abundant, and of late years its numbers in the Faroes and Shetland Islands have so
seriously diminished as to render its speedy extermination there extremely probable.

Yarrell says its breeding-stations with us are probably confined to Shetland. Quoting
Mr. Dunn, he mentions three, viz.:—‘‘ Foula, Rona’s Hill, and the Isle of Unst. In the
latter place it is by no means numerous, and is strictly preserved by the landlords on
whose property it may have settled, from a supposition that it will defend their flocks
from the attacks of the Eagle. That it will attack the Hagle if he approaches their
nests is a fact I have witnessed, and once saw a pair completely beat off a large Kagle
from their breeding-place on Rona’s Hill. The flight of the Common Skua is more rapid

and stronger than that of any other Gull. It is a great favourite with the fishermen,

LARID. 83

frequently accompanying their boats to the fishing-ground, which they consider a lucky omen,
and in return for its attendance they give it the refuse of the fish which are caught.”

Yarrell also says the female lays two and sometimes three eggs, which are olive-
brown, blotched with darker brown; the length two inches nine lines, and two inches
in breadth. Though this Skua is essentially a “robber,’’ Mr. Howard Saunders says it also
feeds upon flesh, and especially upon the Kittiwake Gull.

As this bird has been shot in both Cornwall and Devonshire, it might be met with in
the English Channel. It is thus described by Yarrell (‘British Birds,’ vol. iii. p. 484) :—
‘In this species the bill and its cere are black; irides dark brown; the whole of the
head and neck dark umber-brown, slightly varied by streaks of reddish-brown; back,
wings, and tail dark brown; scapulars and tertials margined with pale reddish-brown;
wing-primaries blackish-brown, rusty brownish-white at the base; the two middle tail-
feathers a little longer, and rather darker in colour than the others; chin, throat, neck
in front, breast, and all the under surface of the body uniform clove-brown; legs, toes,
and their membranes black; the tarsi scutellated in front, reticulated behind; the inner
claw the strongest and the most curved. The whole length, twenty-four to twenty-five
inches; the wing from the anterior bend, sixteen inches. The female is rather smaller
than the male, but otherwise the sexes do not differ much in appearance; nor does this

species assume by age the lighter colours peculiar to the other species of this genus.”

PoMATORHINE Sxua, Stercorarius pomatorhinus. —This Skua is perhaps better known as the
Pomarine Skua, and Seebohm, in describing it, says that whatever pomarinus may mean, they
are by far the most marine of these very marine birds. In Great Britain itself it is rare,
though large flocks may every season be met with a few miles off our coasts. It is
common in the Arctic Regions, and Seebohm says may be found at the Cape of Good Hope.
We might therefore on an Australian voyage fall in with it in the English Channel or at
the Cape of Good Hope. Though subject to changes in plumage, it may always be
recognised by the legs and base of the toes being yellow. Mr. Howard Saunders says
the dark pectoral band evidently becomes narrower with increasing age, until it is totally
lost and the bird is pure white from the chin to the abdomen. It is on rather more
slender lines than the Common Skua, which it resembles in its habits, preferring a pirate’s
life to one of industry.

Booth, in his well-known ‘Catalogue of Birds,’ says the Pomarine Skua, though
‘occasionally compelling the Kittiwake to provide it with food, more commonly attacks the

larger species of Gulls.

84 OCEAN BIRDS.

Describing this bird Yarrell, in ‘ British Birds’ (vol. iii.), says:—‘‘ The bird is said to
form a rude nest of grass and moss, which is placed on a tuft in marshes, or on a rock,
and to lay two or three eggs; these, as figured by Naumann and Buhle, are of a uniform
pale green, the larger end blotched and spotted with two shades of reddish-brown; the
length two inches three lines, by one inch six lines and a half in breadth. In the young
bird the cere and base of the bill are greenish-brown, the curved point black; the irides
very dark brown; feathers of the head and neck clove-brown, with narrow margins of
wood-brown; back, scapulars, tertials, and upper tail-coverts umber-brown, each feather
margined with wood-brown, these margins being broadest on the tertials, the lower part
of the back, and the upper tail-coverts; great wing-coverts nearly uniform umber-brown ;
wing-primaries blackish-brown, the shafts of these feathers, and a considerable portion
of the inner webs white; tail-feathers umber-brown, the two middle tail-feathers in this
young bird not more than half an inch longer than the nest-feather on each side; chin,
throat, breast, belly, and vent mottled with buff-coloured brown, produced by narrow
alternate transverse lines of clove-brown and wood-brown; under tail-coverts broadly
barred across with umber-brown and wood-brown; legs and base of the toes yellow,
anterior part of the toes and their intervening membranes black. The whole length of
this bird to the end of the tail-feathers next the central pair, twenty inches; wing
from the anterior bend, fourteen inches and a quarter. ‘The comparative measurements
in an adult bird would be twenty-one inches, and fifteen inches.

‘“‘T have seen a specimen of the Pomarine Skua in the collection of Mr. Bond, which
was obtained alive when a young bird in the varied plumage of its first year, which
assumed the uniform chocolate-brown plumage during its second year; some specimens
barred across the breast have been named Lestris striatus, as noticed by Mr. Kyton, and
I have seen two fine old birds, dove-grey on the back, with the head black, the neck all
round and the breast yellowish-white, with the central feathers elongated, showing that the
Pomarine Skua is subject to all the changes of plumage which have been so frequently

observed in the more common species, Richardson’s Skua.”’

Ricuarpson’s Sxua (Stercorarius crepidatus). — This bird generally goes by the name of
the ‘Arctic Skua,” referring to which fact Seebohm says it is the least Arctic of all the
Skuas. It is also sometimes called the ‘‘ Parasitic Gull,’’* concerning which Mr. Salmon
says:—It is very amusing to see this bird chasing the Kittiwake, which it compels to

disgorge its food, and before this food reaches the water or land this pirate-bird catches

* Though one would imagine this name should be given to Buffon’s Skua (S. parasiticus).

LARIDA. 85

it. This appears to be the only means of subsistence with this Lestris, as we never
observed them fishing like the rest of the Gulls.” But neither of these names are very
distinguishable, as all the European members of this subfamily are both arctic and
parasitie.

Mr. Booth, in his ‘Catalogue of Birds,’ says:—‘‘ This bird may still be found breeding
in many parts of the North of Scotland and the adjacent islands, the nest being placed
on the open moor. On land, as at sea, the Arctic Skua for the most part procures its
food by robbery; those that I have seen on Strathmore usually persecuting the unfortunate
Common Gulls that have the misfortune to nest in the same locality. Fish, as a rule,
is their diet, but this they occasionally vary with eggs, swallowing, I believe, the whole
or the greater part of the shell, as I have often noticed castings composed entirely of
ege-shells on the mounds where these birds are in the habit of resting.”

Concerning their extraordinary variations of plumage, Mr. Booth says there is no rule
for the colouring of either sex. He also gives the following account of their thievish
propensities :—‘‘In the autumn these birds are very numerous off the northern coast
wherever Kittiwakes are plentiful. When the boats are hauling their long lines for
‘haddies’ and whiting, hundreds of Gulls are attracted to the spot for the fish that fall
from the hook while being lifted on board; these they snatch up within a foot or two
of the boats, but are frequently forced to disgorge, should a Skua be near at hand. The
robber appears to take no notice of the Gull if sitting on the water, beyond watching it
intently ; but the moment it rises on wing he attacks it.”

My. Yarrell says the eggs are two in number, olive-brown, spotted with dark brown,
and the nests of dry grass and mosses in low, marshy, unfrequented heaths.

These birds have been seen in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall;
so we might expect to see them anywhere in the English Channel. It has also been met
with at the Cape of Good Hope.

The following description is from Yarrell’s ‘British Birds’ (vol. iii. p. 492) :—‘ The
young bird during its first autumn and winter has the base of the beak and the cere
brownish-grey, the anterior portion conspicuously curved and black; the irides dark brown ;
the head and neck pale brown, streaked with dark brown; the back, wing-coverts, and
tertials umber-brown, margined with wood-brown; wing-primaries brownish-black, tipped
with pale brown; tail-feathers pale brown at the base, then brownish-black to the end;
the central pair half an inch longer than the others; neck in front, breast, belly, and
under tail-coverts pale yellowish wood-brown, mottled and transversely barred with umber-

brown; legs and the base of the toes yellow, the ends of the toes and the anterior portion

86 OCEAN BIRDS.

of’ the intervening membranes black, and hence called sometimes the ‘ Black-toed Gull’;
but this is only an indication of youth; as the bird increases in age the yellow colour is
lost by degrees. The next stage, which in this species, also, as in the Pomarine
Skua, probably occurs in the second year, the plumage is of a uniform greyish umber-
brown, the whole of the light brown: margins having disappeared, and the bird has
now acquired its full size, measuring from the poimt of the beak to the end of the
long feathers of the tail twenty inches, the central pair of tail-feathers being three
inches longer than the nest-feather on each side; the wing, from the anterior bend to
the end of the longest quill-feather, thirteen inches and three-quarters; the middle toe
and claw together the same length, or one inch and three-quarters. After this stage
a few yellow hair-like streaks appear on the sides of the neck; next the sides of the
neck become lighter in colour; and, advancing in age, the neck all round becomes
white, tinged with yellow, the head remaining of the same colour as the back. Males
and females are not distinguishable by their plumage, and as this species, like the smaller
Gulls, is capable of breeding when one year old, it is observed that birds, sometimes in
similar states, and sometimes in very different states as to plumage, are in pairs at the
breeding-stations.”’

Mr. Howard Saunders says :—‘‘It is now well known that there are two very distinct
plumages to be found in birds of this species, even in the same breeding place,—an entirely
sooty form, and one with light under parts,—and that white-breasted birds pair with
whole-coloured birds, as well as with those of their respective varieties.’ He also says :—
“Now the particular characteristic by which Richardson’s Skua may be distinguished, at
any age before that of the nestling, is that the shafts of the other primaries are
conspicuously tighter than in those of Buffon’s Skua, in which only those of the first and

second primaries are white, those of the third and successive primaries being dark.

Burron’s Sxua (Stercorarius parasiticus). — This bird, sometimes called the ‘‘ Long-tailed
Skua,” may at once be known by the great length of its two middle tail-feathers, resembling,
in fact, the Tropic-birds in this peculiarity. It is also much smaller than the rest of the
genus. It is very arctic in habits, but in winter comes down south, and visits the shores
of England and America; so that we might meet it anywhere along our coast.

In Yarrell’s ‘British Birds’ (vol. iii. p. 496) is the following:—‘The egg, as figured
by Thienemann, is of a pale green colour, spotted with ash-grey and dark reddish-brown ;
the measurements are two inches in length, by one inch and five lines in breadth. In

the adult bird the base of the bill, including the cere, is dark greenish-brown, the horny,

LARID&. 87.

curved point black; sides and back of the neck white, tinged with straw-yellow; back,
tertials, wing, and tail-coverts brownish-grey; primaries and tail-feathers almost black ;
chin, throat, and upper parts of belly white; lower part of the belly, the vent, and under
tail-coverts light brownish-grey; legs, toes, and their membranes black; the tarsi still
bearing some traces of their previous yellow colour. The whole length from the point of
the beak to the end of the tail-feather next the central pair, thirteen inches and a half,
the central feathers extending nine inches beyond; the wing, from the anterior bend to
the end of the longest quill-feather, twelve inches; the tarsus one inch and a half; the
middle toe and the claw rather shorter, or one inch and three-eighths. Independently of
the difference in measurements, adult birds of this species, compared with old ones of the
species previously described, have the head always much darker in colour, while the back

is lighter.”

These four species represent our British Skuas. A fifth Huropean species is
mentioned by Yarrell under the name of Stercorarius cepphus; but My. Howard Saunders

gives it as another name for the present species.

Tue Cuinian Sxva (Stercorarius chilensis). — There are three species of Great Skuas, viz.,
S. catarrhactes, S. antarcticus, and S. chilensis. Mr. Howard Saunders says :—‘‘ The affinities of
the well-defined form are decidedly with S. catarrhactes, and not with S. antarcticus; it is,
indeed, a somewhat slighter bird than the former, and remarkable for its rich cinnamon-
coloured under parts, wing-coverts, and axillaries.”” Myr. Howard Saunders tells us the cool
current known as ‘“‘ Humboldt’s current”’ probably brings the bird up the shores of the South

Pacific from the Magellan Straits to Peru.*

Antarctic Sxva (Stercorarius antarcticus).—This, the giant of the Skuas, is the Southern
Seas representative of our own Common Skua, which it almost exactly resembles, but on
a larger scale. In mid-ocean this bird and the ‘“Spectacled Petrel’’ both go by the name
of ‘‘Cape Hen.” It is also called ‘‘Cape Hawk.”

This great Skua reigns supreme over all other ocean birds, robbing right and left,—
here, there, and everywhere,—just as it suits his royal fancy. I have seen them pursue
nearly every member of the Petrel family, from the Great Albatross down to the Cape
Pigeon, and desist only on being handed over the spoil that tempted their cupidity. They
stand out in striking contrast to most other bird-followers of a ship, in habits, appearance,

and movements; for while the Petrels, the Terns, and the Gulls, are sailing easily and

* This may account for the presence of the Albatross (4. irrorata) at Callao.

88 OCEAN BIRDS.

eracefully round and about the vessel, this robber goes flapping hurriedly and silently
along, straight from his rocky home to the ship, to return as quickly when his curiosity,
hunger, or piratical ambition is satisfied. No sweeping majestically over the ocean in
gigantic circles extending from either horizon; no wheeling gracefully over the broken
waters astern; no games; no skylarking; nothing but an excursion, perhaps for food,
but more probably from a curiosity to see what it all means, at the same time hoping
it may afford a good opening for a row.

The Falkland Islands are a sure find for a ‘‘Cape Hen” (where their local name is
**Cape-Egmont Hen’’); so on board a sailing ship on the homeward voyage from Australia
(round the Horn) those passengers interested in such matters should keep a good look-out.
In my last Australian voyage I was particularly anxious to get one of these specimens, as
they are smaller and somewhat different to the more northerly birds. I had often seen one
astern, but only in such weather that prevented a boat being lowered to obtain a shot.
Once or twice I thought I had fairly hooked one on my Albatross-gear, but on hauling in
he seemed to let go his hold. On nearing the Falklands I knew my chance was at hand,
so gun and line were duly prepared, and the Captain kindly arranged I should be informed
immediately a Skua was in sight. Sure enough, on nearing these inhospitable shores,
one came flapping out to the ship at a great pace. I happened to be Albatross-fishing
at the time, and remarked how all the other birds respectfully withdrew till his Royal
Highness settled alongside my bait. This he promptly tore in pieces, but altogether
declined to be caught; and the same game was enacted over and over again. It was like
fishing for big-pond Carp, when they will go on sucking off your most carefully-prepared
baits. After having eaten all he wanted he flapped off home again, as, though my gun
was ready prepared for him on the after-skylight, it would have been useless firing.
However, the next day, at tiffin, the officer on watch called down the skylight, ‘“ Skua
overhead!’’ and rushing up on deck I found our friend high in the air in hot pursuit
after a Whale-bird. After waiting some little time both pursued and pursuer flew right
over the ship, and though I managed to hit him right enough, he unfortunately fell on
the poop-rail, and even balanced there, but not long enough to give the midshipman
on watch time to grab him before he slipped off into the sea. The heavy sea on
prevented our being able to lower a boat; so I lost my Skua after all, and saw no more
that voyage. I have never myself seen more than a solitary specimen at a time, but
I have been told they occasionally appear in pairs.

Gould, in ‘Birds of Australia,’ says:—‘‘I may mention that all the specimens from

the Southern Hemisphere are rather darker in colour, and somewhat larger in size, than

LARIDAL. 89

those from the Northern. I observed no difference in the colouring of the sexes, which
may be thus described:—All the upper surface blackish-brown; the feathers of the back
with whitish shafts and tips; all the under surface chocolate-brown; base and shafts of
the primaries white.” Mr. Howard Saunders says:—‘‘ From Campbell’s Island, in 54° S.,
168° E., up to Norfolk Island, the Crozets, and up to the Cape of Good Hope, where Layard
observed it in April, the specimens all agree in their remarkable uniformity of sooty-brown
plumage, there being few, if any, striations even upon the feathers of the neck; whilst the size
of some of the examples is enormous, the primaries measuring sixteen and seventeen inches

from carpal joint to tips of primaries.”

WirH this I close my Ocean-Bird notes, trusting they may prove of some small use
to passengers, and especially to those on the great Australian route. This voyage, whether
undertaken on one of the magnificent modern steamers, or on the slower but perhaps
more peaceful sailing-ship, is of considerable duration; and it becomes a matter of some
importance how to spend the time to the best advantage. I have therefore written this
book in the hope of affording some additional pleasure to those on board, by endeavouring

to interest them in the study of their numerous bird-companions.

In conclusion, I take this opportunity of tendering my warmest thanks to Mr. Osbert
Salvin for so kindly allowing me to benefit by his great experience and knowledge, and also to
Miss F’. EK. Green for her beautiful illustrations. I would also wish to acknowledge the very

full use I have made of Mr. Howard Saunders’ exhaustive articles on the Terns, Gulls, and
Skuas.

put

yt. . ax _

ADDENDA.

wee Se

By an oversight, the most conspicuous bird in the region of Madeira is omitted—viz., the Yellow-
billed or Mediterranean Herring Gull, Larus cachinnans.

Page 3. I believe avestruz is the recognised Portuguese for Ostrich.

Pace 4. Figs. 5, 6, 7 are, of course, on Plate III. Figs. 6 and 7 are transposed on this Plate.
Paar 5, 11th line from top, for ‘‘It measured six feet across” read ‘‘ eleven feet.’

Pace 7. I find Moseley is not referring to Tristan da Cunha, but to Nightingale Island.
Pace 11, 8th line from top, for “shore-loving’’ read ‘‘ shore-going.”

Pace 11. D. nigripes.— Coasting from Foochow to Shanghae (near the Fisherman’s Group)
I once came across these black varieties.

Pace 14. Using the word “class” here and in page 36, is of course a misprint. Birds (Aves)
are a class. The Albatrosses are a subfamily of the great family Procellariide.

Pace 16. Soory Atparross.—‘‘ The birds that fly most about in these seas (the South Atlantic)
are Alcatraci, a sort of Sea Gulls as big as Geese, of a brownish colour, with long beaks wherewith
they take fish; and which they feed on, either upon the surface of the water or while they are up
in the air. At night, when they are disposed to sleep, they dash themselves aloft as high as possible,
and putting their head under one wing, support themselves for some time with the other; but
because the weight of their bodys must needs force them down again at last, they no sooner come to
the water but they retake their flight, and both which being often repeated, they may in a manner
be said to sleep waking. Oftentimes it happens that they fall into the ships as they sail, and into
ours there fell two one night and one another. Those who know the nature of them farther say
that in time of year they always go on shore to build their nests and that in the highest places
whereby they facilitate their flight, having but short feet, and those large like unto a Goose. Of this
we made an experiment upon them that fell into our ship, and found that being left at liberty upon
the plain deck they could by no means raise themselves.”—(Father Jerom Merolla (1682), ‘ Voyages
and Travels,’ vol. i., p. 665).

Pace 17. Srorm Perren.— The Field’ has it that ‘‘ Mother Carey” is a corruption of ‘‘ Madre Cara.”
“The Spanish sailor, invoking by this name the aid of the Virgin during a storm, fondly sees an answer to
his prayer in the appearance of the Petrels as the storm abates; not knowing that the disturbance of the
water at such a time brings to the surface much of the matter on which those birds feed.”

Page 22. Wison’s Storm Prrren.—n describing the under tail-coverts of my specimens, I mean
quite white-tipped. The central under tail-coverts are black, the outer ones white on the outer web.
Length to end of tail, 8 inches; wings extending 1} inch beyond.

Pace 25. Great Perren.—For “I caught the specimen from which Fig. 5,” &c., read ‘‘ Plate V.”
In the ‘Graphic’ of November 6th, 1886, there is an illustration and account of H.M.S. ‘ Leander’

92 OCEAN BIRDS.

running into a sleeping Sunfish off Yokohama. The account finishes thus :—‘‘ Attempts were made
to get it on board, it being deftly slung, but it dropped in two, as well it might, and oilily floated
astern, a Japanese fishing-boat and a Giant Petrel waiting their turn.” ‘This is very new water for a
Giant Petrel. I think it must have been a Short-tailed Albatross (Diomedea brachyura).

Pace 29. Funtmar Prerren.—Considered the most numerous bird in the world, and yet only lays
one egg. Darwin makes a strong point of this in his remarks on the great struggle for existence. So
many die off in this competition that it becomes a matter of no moment whether there are six eggs to be
hatched off or only one. No doubt the Fulmar Petrel is so eminently fitted for its position in life that the
solitary ‘‘ chick” generally survives. This is one of the three species of Ocean Birds so common on an
Atlantic voyage, Wilson’s Petrel and the Great Shearwater being the other two.

Pace 32, 7th line, Prion turtur, not inetur.

Pacu 83. In ‘ Origin of Species’ (p. 184), Darwin says:—‘‘In the genus Prion, a member of the
distinct family of the Petrels, the upper mandible is furnished with lamelle, which are well developed and
project beneath the margin; so that the beak of this bird resembles in this respect the mouth of a whale.”
This very clearly explains their being called ‘‘ Whale-birds” at sea, though I have never met a sailor who
knew the reason.

Pace 34. Prion brevirostris, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1885, p. 88.—This bird appears to frequent the
Island of Madeira and neighbouring rocky islets called the Desertas. Gould says it is the only Prion
found north of the Equator. He thus describes it :—‘‘ Upper surface delicate blue; edge of the shoulder,
the scapularies, outer margins of the external primaries, and the tips of the middle tail-feathers black ;
lores, sides of the head, and all the under surface white, stained with blue on the flanks and under tail-
coverts; bill light blue, deepening into black on the sides of the nostrils and at the tip, and with a
black line along the side of the under mandible; feet light blue, the interdigital membrane flesh-colour.
Total length, 10} in.; bill, in.; wing, 63 in.; tail, 3} in.; tarsi, 1} in.”

Paar 34, 9th line from bottom (Snowy Prrren), for ‘ Arctic bird” read ‘‘ Antarctic bird.”

Pace 35. GreaTerR SHEARWATER (Pufinus major).—This bird was omitted in Part I., so I introduce
it here. It is a rare visitant to Great Britain, very common on the banks of Newfoundland, and
occasionally met with off the Cape of Good Hope. It almost exactly resembles P. anglorwm, except
that it is larger, being 18 inches instead of 14 inches long.

Paar 35. Pufinus assimilis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1837, p. 156.—Long. tot. unc. 11; rostri, 23;
ale, 64; caude, 3; tarsi, 13. Hab. in Nova Cambria Australi. Obs.—Very closely allied to P. obscurus,
but considerably smaller.

Pace 36. Pelecanoides urinatriz—lIn his ‘ Origin of Species’ (p. 142), Darwin says :—“‘ Petrels are
the most aérial and oceanic of birds, but in the quiet sounds of Tierra del Fuego, the Pufinuria berardi, in
its general habits, in its astonishing power of diving, in its manner of swimming, and of flying when made
to take flight, would be mistaken by any one for an Auk or a Grebe; nevertheless it is essentially a Petrel,
but with many parts of its organization profoundly modified in relation to its new habits of life.”

Pace 87. Dusxy Prrren (P. obscurus).—Yarrell says, ‘‘ P. obscurus measures 11 inches in its whole
length, and 6% from the bend of the wing to the end of the longest quill-feather.” It is found in the
Mediterranean, and very common off the Cape of Good Hope. Gould says it is the representative of
P. assimilis of Australia, which it so exactly resembles that many authors consider it the same species.

Pac 41. Great Fricatse-pirp.—Diego Garcia consists of three islands, two of which are leased
by that enterprising Australian line, the Orient Steam Navigation Company. In examining a small ~
collection of birds from these islands, Mr. Howard Saunders, in the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological

ADDENDA. 93

Society’ for 1886, thus describes this bird:—‘‘Common, and may often be seen chasing Terns and
Boobies till they make them disgorge their fish, as described by Mr. H. O. Forbes in his recent work.
I have never seen Frigate-birds fishing for themselves; they are said to do so sometimes, but very
rarely. Their flight is magnificent; I have seen one wheeling round and round in circles for at least
five minutes without once flapping its wings, during which time it must have covered a mile of
ground.” Mr. Bourne, who collected the specimens, says:—‘‘Gannets and Frigate-birds breed at the
southern end of the island; and, although they are well known to be enemies on the wing, the
Frigate-bird pursuing the Gannets and compelling them to disgorge the fish they have caught, yet
they nest close together without molesting one another.”

Pacr 42. Fricare-prrp.—After writing my own ideas of the Frigate-bird, I was much pleased
to find that Darwin had commented on the fact of this web-footed bird now so rarely taking to the
water. He says no one except Audubon has seen the Frigate-bird alight on the water. He goes
on to show by the present formation of the web-feet that it is gradually changing into a land
‘species, or rather that its comparatively newly acquired mode of life is working this change in its
structure.

Pace 49. Gannet.—In October, 1886, several letters appeared in the ‘ Field,’ mentioning instances
of the Gannet (Sula bassana) being met with in England very far inland. One that measured six feet
two inches from tip to tip, and three feet from tip of beak to tip of tail, was discovered in Cumberland,
forty miles from the nearest coast line.

Pace 57.—In my Chapter on the Terns | say that it is not likely we should meet with the
genus Gygis. They do not go farther south of the eastern shores of Australia than Moreton Bay.
But travelling by an Orient steamer, and passing Diego Garcia, we should probably see the White
Tern (Gygis candida), where Mr. Howard Saunders says it is very common, perching in the cocoa-nut
trees, and laying a single egg in the axils of the leaves. Mr. Darwin, describing Keeling Island,
says of this bird:—‘‘ But there is one charming bird, a small and snow-white Tern, which smoothly
hovers at the distance of an arm’s length from your head, its large black eyes scanning with quiet
curiosity your expression. Little imagination is. required to fancy that so light and delicate a body
must be tenanted by some wandering fairy spirit.”

Pace 66. Tur Guuii-BintED Tern (Sterna anglica).— Myr. Howard Saunders says the American
S. aranca, the Australian S. macrotarsa, and the Kuropean S. anglica are all the same bird.

Pace 80, Kirrnwaxn Guin (Rissa tridactyla)—A well-known dealer in Leadenhall Market once
showed me a Gull that completely puzzled him. It turned out to be merely an immature Nittiwake
(called by some ‘‘ Tarrock’’), with the black beak and black markings. I believe for a long time these
one-year-old birds were considered a distinct species. Of course they ought always to be distinguished by
the three toes (tridactyla).

Pace 87, foot-note, for “ A. irrorata” read “ D. irrorata.”

1. Great Wanpertnc ALBATROSS,

10.

. CULMINATED ALBATROSS,

. YELLOW-BILLED ALBATROSS, D.

. BLACK-EYEBROWED ALBATROSS, D.

INDEX.

Authors differ in their ornithological names, but I trust the following will meet with approval.

The boardship names are given within brackets. Though most of these names hold good on board all ships, I have
noticed that some ships’ companies have their own peculiar nommes de mer for certain birds.

The habitat of each species is also given in this Index, but I do not mean to infer that they are not occasionally found
elsewhere.

PAGE
Diomedea exu-
lams, Gould, B. Austr. vill. pl. 38; Phil. Trans.
168, p. 145. [The Albatross or Tross.] From
30 to 60 degrees of south latitude. Average
weight 17 lbs.; average spread of wing 10’ 1’.
(eve) US, ites 1D) Gcocononecceonanss pon scocesoscoouscotonG 3—15

. SHorT-TAILED AxLBarross, D. brachyura, Baird,

Brewer, and Ridgway, Water Birds of North
America, vol. ii. [China Sea Albatross.] China
Sea, across the North Pacific to west coast of
North America. (Plate II., fig. 2) ......... 4,10, 11, 15

. Cautious AuBatross, D. cauta, Gould, P. Z.S.,

1840. [Mollyhawk; Mollymauk; Molly.| Mr.
O. Salvin says, ‘‘ Very little known of this bird
beyond Gould’s account.” Seen by Gould off
south coast of Tasmania. (Plate II., fig.3) 4,11, 12,15

D. culminata, Gould,
B. Austr. vii. pl. 41; Phil. Trans. 168, p. 147.
[Blue-nosed Molly.] Most abundant in Austra-
lian seas. (Plate IT., fig. 4)

chlororhynchos,
Gould, B. Austr. vii. pl. 42. [Golden-beaked
Molly.| Abundant from Cape of Good Hope to
Maem anizige (Platelet oO) csjessenssscseceecene 4,12, 15

melanophrys,
Gould, B. Austr. vii. pl. 43; Phil. Trans. 168,
p- 146. [Common Mollyhawk; Mollymauk;
Molly.| Temperate latitudes south of line.
This is the commonest species of Albatross.
(VEWaine) WES, i827) Coosorceoonacnaococoadeonsbenscbtace 4,13, 15

. Sooty AtBatrross, D. fuliginosa, Gould, B. Austr.

vii. pl. 44; Phil. Trans. 168, p. 148. [Stinkpot.|
Temperate latitudes south of line. (Plate IT.,

ive, 7) qcedasneancacqooconobsdécocnosinshinsdigssoBaasnasasc6 4, 14, 16
. D. irrorata, O. Salvin, P. Z.S., June, 18838.
(ChMa® Bhan, Leterabl ceoecsogebeoconeanabgccasagpaoonocosnos 4,16

. Stormy PeErrEeL, Procellaria pelagica, Yaryrell,

Brit. Birds, iii. p. 524. |Mother Carey’s

Chicken.] ‘‘ Atlantic Ocean, and has been met

with on east coast of Africa.”—Dresser, B. of

TajbAMOY NS — (MEANS) W/o) ancensaunecncocoesscqnaoueceooneqadr Ii7—21
Wiuson’s Storm PETREL, Oceanites oceanicus.

Thalassidroma Wilsoni, Gould, B. Austr. vii.

pl. 65. O. oceanica, Phil. Trans. 168, p. 132.

[Mother Carey’s Chicken; Yellow-webbed

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

PAGE
Mother Carey.] ‘‘ Both sides of Atlantic
Ocean, Indian Ocean from coasts of North
America, and then of the British Isles down
to Kerguelen Land and South Australia.”—
Dresser ws OLE UInOP Ofcseresectonsner cake ccesenceecer= 21, 22

ForKED-TAILED PETREL, Cymochorea leucorrhoa.
Procellaria Leachwi, Jenyns, Brit. Vert., p. 286.
[Mother Carey’s Chicken; Leach’s Petrel.]
“Atlantic from St. Kilda and the coast of
Labrador, southward on the American coast to
Washington, and on our side to Madeira.”—
IDregsoriewcedetncceetnce Jancesec ceeeeon saaeoowerecete ree 22, 23

Butwer’s Perret, Bulweria columbina. Tha-
lassidroma Bulwerw, Gould, B. of Europe, pt.

xxii. [Mother Carey’s Chicken.] Seas bounding
west shores of Africa, especially Madeira. Great
Britain, one specimen; see Gould, B. of Europe 23

WHITE-FACED Storm PETREL, Oceandroma ma-

rind. Thalassidroma marina, Gould, B.
Austr. vii. pl. 61. {Mother Carey’s Chicken.|
Southern: OCGan! Wc seeccnce casicn soonensoae octineoeeeens 23, 24

BLACK-BELLIED STORM PETREL, Pregetta melano-
gaster. Thalassidroma melanogaster, Gould,
B. Austr. vii. pl. 62. Oceanitis tropica, Phil.
Trans. 168, p. 130. [Mother Carey’s Chicken. |
Gould says, on outward voyage, “‘ Cape Lagulhas,
across South Indian Ocean to Tasmania”;
homeward voyage, ‘‘In great abundance be-
tween the eastern coast of Australia and New
PEERING, coo nonotopnadodbecqaaqnGooacHO GRO cHDeosOOEORECOODGC 24

WHITE-BELLIED StoRM PETREL, Pregetta leuco-
gaster. Thalassidroma leucogaster, Gould,
B. Austr. vii. pl. 63. [Mother Carey’s Chicken. |
Gould says, ‘* Very generally distributed over
the South Indian Ocean”? ...........ssceseeeessseees 24

GREY-BACKED STorM PETREL, Garodia nereis.
Thalassidroma nereis, Gould, B. Austr. vii.
pl. 64. Procellaria nereis, Phil. Trans. 168,
p- 129. [Mother Carey’s Chicken.] ‘ From
Hobart Town to Sydney, Bass’s Straits, between
New South Wales and northernmost point of
New Zealand.”’—Gould .............cssecscsssseeees 24

Giant PETREL, Ossifraga gigantea, Gould, B.
Austr. vii. pl. 45; Phil. Trans. 168, pl. 142.
{Nelly; Leopard-bird; Leopard Albatross.|
Temperate and high southern latitudes...... 25, 26, 27

2B

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24,

25.

26.

35.
36.

. SOFT-PLUMAGED PETREL, (.

. Coox’s Perret, CG. Cooki, G. R. Gray.

. BLuuE PETREL, Halobena

. WEDGE-TAILED PETREL,

. Farry Prion, P. ariel, Gould.

OCEAN BIRDS.

PAGE
Great Grey PETREL, Adamastor cinerea, Gould,

B. Austr. vii. pl. 47. [Cape Dove.] Gould

says, ‘‘ Universally diffused between the 30th

and 55th degrees of south latitude”’............... 27, 28

SILVERY-GREY Perret, Thalassoica glacialoides,
Gould, B. Austr. vu. pl. 48; Phil. Trans. 168,
p- 123. [Fulmar Petrel.] Southern seas ...... 28

Fuumar Perret, Fulmarus glacialis, Yarrell,
Brit. Birds, ui. p. 497, ‘Winter visitor to
South of England. [Fulmar Petrel.] ‘The
oceans that wash the shores of Northern Europe
and America. Rare straggler to Great Britain.”
——DFESSer, Bs OL EIULOPO veer essceceesesmescesneseseees 29

SPECTACLED PETREL, Majaqueus equinoctialis,
Phil. Trans. 186, p. 119. [Cape Hen.] Cape

seas. Mr. Salvin says, ‘“‘ Doubtfully distinct

from M. conspicillatus of Australia” ............ 29
M. conspicillatus, Nat. Hist. Museum, Gould.

[Cape Hen.] Australian seas .............:0ss0ee. 29

GREAT-WINGED PETREL, Pterodroma fuliginosa,
Mr. Osbert Salvin. P. macroptera of Gould.
Capt. Hutton says, ‘‘ Looks like a huge swift.”
GaperoliG ood! HOpel..cns.c+--scessesocs--stascesreesess 30

Artantic Perret, P. fuliginosa, Mr. Osbert
Salvin. P.atlantica of Gould. |Cape Parson.|
“Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.”—Gould ......... 30

SOLANDER’S PETREL, P. fuliginosa, Mr. Osbert
Salvin. P. solandri of Gould. Gould says,
“* Of this remarkably robust and compact bird I
shot a single individual in Bass’s Straits” ...... 30

WHITE-HEADED PETREL, @istrelata lessoni, Gould,

B. Austr. vii. pl. 49; Phil. Trans. 168, p. 126.

C. lewcocephala. Gould says, ‘The most

powerful flyer of the Procellartvide.” Southern

BOBS (GiGie cece s Shovconcudehvanescceces seewebacaereceeersee 30
mollis, Gould, B.
Austr. vu. pl. 50; Phil. Trans. 168, p. 128.
Procellaria raoulensis, Nat. Hist. Museum.
“This species flies in the greatest abundance
between the 20th and 50th degrees of south
latitude.”—Gould, B. Austr. ..........0s0scecscssees 30, 31

. WHITE-WINGED PETREL, GJ. leucoptera, Gould.

Procellaria Cookii, Gould, B. Austr. vii. pl. 51.
Auiphralliamiyseas, (Ciccccccuccswsecrcseersecencccoeccnens 31

“ Seas
between Australia and New Zealand.”—Gould 31
caerulea, Gould, B.
Austr. vil. pl. 52; Phil. Trans. 168, p. 141.
‘“* Between the 40th and 55th degrees of south
latitude, both in Atlantie and Pacific.’—Gould 31, 32

Thiellus sphenwrus,
Gould. ‘‘Seas washing the whole of the
southern portion of Australia.”—Gould ......... 32

. CAPE PETREL, Daption capensis, Gould, B. Austr.

vil. pl. 53. |Cape Pigeon.] Temperate lati-
tudes of seas in southern hemisphere ............ 32, 33

. Dovr-LikE Prion, Prion turtwr, Gould, B. Austr.

vu. pl. 54. Prion desolatus, Salvin. [Whale-
bird.] ‘‘Atlantie and Pacifie Oceans, between
30th and 50th degrees of south latitude.’”—
Gonder sos-coceesocmcnetsenstccessese cee eo eee 33

I Prion desolatus,
Salvin. [Ice-bird.] Gould procured several
examples in Bass’s Straits .............c.sssccssseees 33, 84

Banxs’s Prion, P. vittatus, Salvin. South Seas... 34

Broap-BILLED Prion, P. vittatus, Gould, B.
Austr. vii. pl. 55; Phil. Trans. 168, p. 135.
SouthelmdianiOceansicrseccsasesseecceseceesseen eee 34

3v.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

PAGE
Snowy Perret, Pagodroma nivea. Procellaria
wivea, Nat. Hist. Museum. Antarctic ......... 34
Manx SHEARWATER, Puffinus anglorwm, Yarrell,
Brit. Birds, ii. p. 508. ‘ North Atlantic Ocean,
and Mediterranean as far as the Black Sea.”’-—
IDRESSCM) <=. --nsoscneccesceencesece serene se eeenee ees 35
GREATER SHEARWATER, P. major, Yarrell, Brit.
Birds, ii. p. 502. Both sides of equator...... Addenda
Dusky Perret, P. obscwruws, P. Z. 8., 1872,
p- 110. Europe, Indian Ocean, &e. ......... Addenda
AxiieD PerreL, P. nugax. P. assvmilis, Gould,

B. Austr. vil. pl. 59. ‘‘ Pacific Seas of Australia

and New Zealand.”—P. Z.8., 1837, p. 186...... 35
SHORT-TAILED PETREL, Nectris brevicauda. P.

brevicaudus, Gould, B. Austr. vii. pl. 56.

|Mutton-bird.| Seas surrounding Tasmania,

Bass’s Straits: QCisce scsscscsecesaesttesssescseawerer 35
43. FLesuy-roorep Prrret, N. carneipes. Puffi-

nus carnetpes, Gould, B. Austr. vu. pl. 57.

“Southern and western coasts of Australia,”

G6. Gould) cic sccccccesesncosscciessecceessteesccecscers 35, 36
44, Diving Perret, Pelecanoides wrinatrix. Puffi-

naria wrinatriz, B. Austr. vii. pl. 60. Tas-

mania, New Zealand, Kerguelen, &c. ............ 36
45. P. garnoti, P. Z. 8., 1878, p. 739, Salvin; Nat.

Hist. Museum. Messier Channel, &c............- 36
46. Great FRIGATE-BIRD, Tachypetes aqwilus, Gould,

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

54.

55.

B. Austr. ii. p. 499. [Frigate-bird.| ‘All the
seas of the warmer parts of the globe.’—
Gooulldisivcsaceccceneoss ance eseeenetenesncewerstece mest cece 41—45

SMALL F'RIGATE-BIRD, J’. minor, Gould, B. Austr.
ii. p. 499. [Frigate-bird.] ‘‘ The seas washing
the tropical parts of the Australian continent,
especially Torres Straits.’—Gould ............... 45, 46

ReED-TAILED TROPIC-BIRD, Phaeton phonicurus,
B. Austr. vii. pl. 73. [Boatswain- (bosun-)
bird.| ‘*Temperate and warmer latitudes of
the Indian Ocean and the South Seas.”—Gould 52, 53

Common Tropic-pBirbD, P. ethereus. | Boatswain-
Hjaxoryobar-)) Jorge] AUR YOKES ccoosoosonapcosecAnanassacenes 53
BLAcK-BILLED TRoPIC-BIRD, P. flavirostris. |Boat-
swain- (bosun-) bird.| Tropics. ‘Island of
Ponape is a new locality for the species.”—
Dr. O. Finsch

Brown Gannet, Sula lewcogaster, P. Z.S., 1878,
p- 651, Messrs. Sclater and Salvin. [Booby;
Brown Booby.| Especially abundant round
the north) of AVstralial cccc.sccsseesesssoess-eoeasiusece 47

. RED-LEGGED GANNET, S. piscatrix, Gould, B. Austr.

vii. pl. 79.
Australia

[Booby.] Abundant off northern

. Maskep GANNET, S. personata, Gould, B. Austr.

vii. pl. 77. [Gannet.] Breeds on Raine’s Island 48

AUSTRALIAN GANNET, S. australis, Gould, B.
Austr. vii. pl. 76. [Gannet.] Australia and
TRSMAMID p cevnccpesencmerwssces romsenerenterer sen ccnsteeee 49

Gannet, S. bassana, Yarrell, Brit. Birds, ii.

p. 881. [Gannet, Solan or Soland Goose.| ‘A
constant resident on the coast of Great Britain.
North of the British Islands the Gannet is
found in the Baltic, as high as the Gulf of
Bothnia; on the west coast of Norway; at the
Faroe Islands and Iceland; while from the
coast of Labrador they are said to go as far
south as Carolina. Southward from England
the Gannet is included among the birds of
Madeira and South Africa.”’—Yarrell ............ 49, 50

56. BuAck-TAILED GANNET, S. capensis, Layard’s and
Sharpe’s B. South Africa. [Gannet.] South
PAH CO Mamccals satan enectaccs es tetiaecscciocelsce ste oedesees

57. S. variegata. |Gannet.| Mr. Salvin, in a letter
to me, says, ‘* Not much is known about this
bird; limited portion of the west coast of
South America; common on the Chincha
TIS T eee a eS Se cecndoecicabacocnanbocone coneooseqqnequengceccdc

Common TrErRN, Sterna hirundo, Yarrell, Brit.
Birds, i. p. 898. S. fluviatilis, P. Z.S., 1876.
p. 649, H. Saunders. [Sea-swallow.| ‘* Com-
mon to both the Old and New Worlds, and

58

INDEX.

PAGH

50

51

even extends into Southern Africa.’”—Dresser 58—60

59. Arctic TmRN, S. arctica, Yarrell, Brit. Birds, iii.
p- 408. S. macrura, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 650,
H. Saunders. [Sea-swallow.|] ‘* Northern
Europe, Asia, and America; in winter it visits
the Atrican coast.” —H. Saunders ...........0608
60. Caspian TERN, S. caspia, Yarrell, Brit. Birds, iii.
p- 387; P.Z.8., 1876, p. 656, H. Saunders.
[Sea-swallow; King of the Sea-swallows.]
“Northern Europe to New Zealand, and in
America from Labrador, where it breeds, down
to New Jersey.” —H. Saunders..............0sc0008

61. PowrerruL TERN, S. strenua. Sylochelidon
strenwus, Gould, B. Austr. vii. pl. 22. “ Now
generally allowed to be the same as S. caspia.”
See P.Z.8., 1876, p. 657.—H. Saunders.........

62. ALLIED TrRN, S. affinis, Bree, B. Europe, v. p. 56.
[Sea-swallow.] ‘Straits of Gibraltar, along
the Mediterranean, down the Red Sea to
Madagascar, and eastwards along the Indian
coast and islands, throughout the Malay Archi-
pelago, the Aru Islands, down to Torres Straits
and Port Essington.”—H. Saunders.............0

63. Inpran TeRN, Gould, B. Austr. vii. pl. 25.
S. media, P.Z.5., 1876, p. 655, H. Saunders.
[Sea-swallow.| Uhalasseus torresii, Gould,
Bb. Austr. vil. pl. 25. ‘“ Throughout the islands
of Eastern Archipelago to the northern coasts
of Australia.”—H. Saunders ..........ccsesscssceee

64. Bass’s Srrairs Tern, S. poliocerca, Gould, B.
Austr. i. p. 396. S. bergii, P.Z.8., 1876, p. 657,
H. Saunders. [Sea-swallow.| Cape of Good

Hope, Red Sea, Australia, &c. ...........sscecseees
65. Torres Srrairs TERN, S. cristata. Thalasseus
pelecanoides, Gould, B. Austr. vii. pl. 23.

S. maxima, P.Z.8., 1876, p. 655, H. Saunders.
[Sea-swallow.| Gold Coast, Pacific Coast, and
AT aNIC]SCA-WOAKAs WC \ccarccsccccscccccutonessccses
SouTHERN TERN, S. melanoryhncha, Gould, B.
Austr. vil. pl. 26. S. frontalis, P.Z.S., 1876,
p. 659, H. Saunders. [Sea-swallow.] New
AGH N Glen ceesessevesscse dacs cetes codecs ceeance tes sce tecees
67. S. hirundinacea, P. Z. 8,, 1876, p. 647, H.
Saunders. [Sea-swallow.| ‘Rio de Janeiro

to Falkland Islands and up to west coast of
Chili]. Saunders, /.scscscecsssccessccessscceseeces

68. S. vittata, P. Z.5., 1876, p. 647, H. Saunders.
[Sea-swallow.] St. Paul’s Island, Kerguelen
Niplemde Stsplelanacncuchm sacesecantecostcnes cseonere nce

69. S. virgata, P.Z.5., 1876, p. 646, H. Saunders.

[Sea-swallow.] Kerguelen Island ...............

S. antarctica, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 646, H. Saunders.

[Sea-swallow.] New Zealand ................00006

71. Sanpwicn Tern, S. Boysiz, Yarrell, Brit. Birds,
ili. p. 391; S. cantiaca, P. Z. S., 1876.
{Sea-swallow.] ‘Northern Europe to the

66

70

61, 62

61

62

2, 63

63

63

63

63

63

63

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

tie

78.

79.

80.

80.

81.

82.

83.

84.

85.

86.

97

PAGE
Cape of Good Hope and Bay of Bengal in
winter; and along the Atlantic coast of North
America to the West Indian Isles, Honduras
and Brazil, as far as Bahia.’—H. Saunders ... 64

RosEateE Tern, S. dougalli, P.Z.8., 1876, p. 652,
H. Saunders; Yarrell, Brit. Birds, iii. p. 395.
[Sea-swallow.| Mr. Howard Saunders says,
“T do not find authentic records beyond 57
degrees north latitude, south of which it ranges
in scanty numbers along the British and
European coasts, also Cape of Good Hope, &c.” 64, 65

Gracrerut Tern, S. gracilis, Gould, B. Austr. vii.
pl. 27. Mr. Howard Saunders says, ‘‘ Same
Jondael Gis So Cho ME” coaccncencdeecosesmcacopaccan[cas 64
Lesser Tern, S. minuta, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 661,
H. Saunders; Yarrell, Brit. Birds, iii. p. 412.
[Sea-Swallow.| Temperate Europe to India;
in winter on coast of West Africa as far as the
Caperof Good! Hope cscansssesecscsess-sssaKensacnscees 65, 66

Lirtte Tern, Sternula nereis, Gould, B. Austr.
vii. pl. 29. |Sea-swallow.] Australian and
New Zealand seas. Representative in Southern
OGeanNOM Stas cwemececcececssrsesen<dsecaccioseses 66

Sterna antillarum, P. Z.8., 1876, p. 661,
H. Saunders. ([Sea-swallow.] ‘‘ Temperate
America, on both coasts, and down to the
Antilles, Trinidad, lat. N. 10°.”—H. Saunders 66

S. sinensis, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 662, H. Saunders.
[Sea-swallow.] ‘* Ceylon, China seas, Queens-
land, and down the Australian coast”’............ 66

S. balenarwm, P.Z.8., 1876, p. 664, H. Saunders.
[Sea-Swallow.| ‘‘ Walwich Bay to the Cape of
(GoodUEO ponies cen easeaerenesesccsnecenecccdascaccaccod 66

GULL-BILLED TERN, S. anglica, P.Z.S., 1876,
p- 644, H. Saunders; Yarrell, Brit. Birds, iii.
p- 409. [Sea-swallow.] ‘* Western Europe to
China seas, throughout India, Ceylon, and the
Malay region down to Australia, and along the
east coast of America as far as Patagonia; on
the Pacific side only in Guatemala.’—H.

SaUMGeLB: \cccscssvacsccsccecescecsisacctecsnsswtseconecssue 66, 67
S. aranea, P.Z.8., 1876, p. 644, H. Saunders.

“The American S. aranea is identical with

S. anglrea.”—H. Saunders ............0s.ee0e0e Addenda

Lone-LEGGED TERN, S. macrotarsa, Gould, B.
Austr. fol., supp., pl. Mr. H. Saunders says,
“Ts identical with S. anglica”” ..........cssseceee 66
Soory Tern, S. fuliginosa, P. Z.8., 1876, p. 666,
H. Saunders. [Sea-swallow.| ‘‘ All the warmer
portions of the world.”—H. Saunders............ 67, 68

Panayan Tern, S. panayensis, Gould, B. Austr.
vu. pl. 33. S. anestheta, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 666,
H. Saunders. Smaller Sooty Tern, Seebohm.
[Sea-swallow.] ‘All the warmer portions of
THEGWOrl de ——El sno AUNGErs ecceecesasenetusccesceaciies 68

Noppy TERN, Anous stolidus, Yarrell, Brit. Birds,
iii. p. 420: P.Z.5., 1876, p. 669, H. Saunders.
[Noddy.] ‘In all tropical waters; straggler
to British seas.” —H. Saunders................c0e0 69, 70
Lesser Noppy, A. melanops, Gould, B. Austr.
vii. pl. 35. [Noddy.] ‘‘ Especially abundant
in Australian seas.”—Gould .............s.ssesceees 70
WuitEe Tern, Gygis candida, Gould, LB. Austr.
vil. pl. 30; P.Z.S., 1876, p. 667, H. Saunders.
[Sea-swallow.| ‘“ Madagascar, Polynesia, Mar-
quesas, &c.”—H. Saunders ...........s.ssse0e0e Addenda

Common Gut, Larus canus, Yarrell, Brit. Birds,
ii. p. 454; P.Z.S., 1878, p. 173, H. Saunders.

98

87.

88.

89.

90.

91.

92.

93.

94.

95.

96.

97.

98.

99.

OCEAN BIRDS.

[Sea-cull.| ‘Palearctic region; very rare in
Iceland, once in Labrador.”—H. Saunders......

Lesser BLacK-BACKED GULL, Larus fuscus, Yarrell.
Brit. Birds, iii. p. 467; P.Z.S., 1878, p. 173,
H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] ‘* North of Europe,
Faroes, Baltic, Russia as far east as Archangel,
the British Isles, the French coast, and the
Canaries.”—H. Saunders .........c-secsessessesens

L. dominicanus, P. Z. 8., 1878, p. 180, H.
Saunders. [Sea-gull.] New Zealand, Ker-
guelen Island, Falkland Islands, Patagonia,
(G27 — Ely SAMO OLS) esac ecccrcesersencrenc dee vcsse wesc

L. belcheri, P.Z.S., 1878, p. 182, H. Saunders.
[Sea-gull.] ‘West coast of America, from
Callao southward to Chili, the western portions
of the Straits of Magellan, and down to Cape
Horn.’—H.. Saunders .........:.cccccssccssesneascsens

L. scoresbii, P. Z.S., 1878, p. 184, H. Saunders.
[Sea-gull,] ‘‘ Patagonia, east coast, south
of about 45° S. latitude, down to New South
Shetland Islands in about 63° S.; the Falkland
Islands, the Straits of Magellan, and up the
coast of Chili as far as Chiloe.’”—H. Saunders

Great BLAcK-BACKED GULL, L. marinus, Yarrell,
Brit. Birds, iii. p. 474; P.Z.5S., 1878, p. 179,
H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] “‘ Northern and tem-
perate Europe and Iceland (breeding) ; visiting
the Mediterranean in winter as far as Greece ;
the Canaries, and probably the Azores.”—H.
DAT CEES) i eeceweensecceascosesn ee seicacciarieseedneriarsisi

Paciric Guu, L. pacificus, Gould, B. Austr. vil.
pl. 19; P.Z.S., 1878, p. 181, H. Saunders.
[Sea-gull.] ‘‘Shores of Tasmania, islands in
Bass’s Straits, and the southern parts of the
Australian continent.”’—Gould ........:..eeeeeeeeee

Herring Gui, L. argentatus, Yarrell, Brit.
Birds, iii. p. 470; P.Z.S., 1878, p. 167, H.
Saunders. [Sea-gull.| ‘‘ North-west of Europe
from the Varanger Fiord, the Baltic, the
western coasts down to North Africa, the
Azores, Madeira, and the Canaries.”—Howard
SBUNCEES! cccesscecckcacescecsor srscsesecsceesnncesonacslecs

Guaucous Gut1, L. glaucus, P.Z.S., 1878, p. 165,
H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] Arctic regions, but
im winter Goes SOUtH «...........csscccesecseserensese

IceLAND GuutL, L. leucopterus, P.Z.S., 1878,
p- 166. H. Saunders. ([Sea-gull.] Aretic
regions, straggling south in winter .........--.++

Gouup’s Sirver Guu, L. nove-hollandia, Gould,
B. Austr. ii. p. 388; P.Z.S., 1878, p. 186, H.
Saunders. [Sea-gull.| ‘Australia from Raine’s
Island, Torres Straits to Bass’s Straits, and
Tasmania; also New Caledonia, and perhaps
the Society Islands.” —H. Saunders..........-++++

Stirver Guu, L. scopulinus, P.Z.S., 1878, p. 188,
H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] ‘‘ New Zealand.”—
Vale Shohetete eyes) pas sdces se Suoudocooodapacanqobacccooodo0sonus

L. hartlaubi, P.Z.S., 1878, p. 188, H. Saunders.
[Sea-gull.} ‘Southern coast of Africa,
especially about Table Bay, Cape of Good
Hope.” —H. Sarinders .......seceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees

BLAcK-HEADED GULL, L. ridibundus, P.Z.S., 1878,
p- 200, H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] ‘‘ Northern
and Temperate Europe, breeding; the Mediter-
ranean coast to Egypt and Asia Minor, the
Red Sea, Arabian coast; and the coast, interior
waters, and rivers of India.”,—H. Saunders ...

PAGE

72, 73

74, 75

75

75

75

75, 76

76

76, 77

77

77

77

77

77

78

100.

101.

108.

104.

105.

106.

107.

108.

109.

110.

111.

112.

113.

LavuGcuHine Gut, L. atricilla, P.Z.S., 1878,
p. 194, H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] ‘‘ America,
from Maine, on the east coast, down to the
mouth of the Amazons and to the West Indian
Islands; on the west coast, California, Mexico,
Guatemala, and as far south as Sumbeg, the
northern frontier of Peru.” —H. Saunders

Maskep Gutu, L. melanocephalus, P.Z.S., 1878,
p- 199, H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] ‘* Mediter-
ranean and Black Sea, Straits of Gibraltar,” &e.
“One shot in England, 1866.”—H. Saunders

. LirrLe Guu, L. minutus, P.Z.8., 1878, p. 206,

H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.| ‘‘ European coasts
and occasionally inland; breeding in the
marshes of Russia, and formerly in Scotland.”
FH. Saunders ..........cccecesesecececeereesceenecve

Bonapartean Guu, L. philadelphia. P.Z.5%.,
1878, p. 206, H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] ‘‘ British
North America and Alaska (in summer), breed-
ing on the Tukon and neighbouring localities.
Tn autumn it descends the coast of America, as
far as California on the west and North Caro-
lina on the east; as a strageler it has visited
the Bermudas and also the British Islands.”—
Ie AUT CTA dices ecseeentensssmarescsemseneesesscessincs

Sapine’s GuLL, Xema Sabinii, P.Z.S., 1878,
p- 209, H. Saunders. ([Sea-gull.]| Arctic
America, &e. In autumn straggler to British
(SOS b (es (GconsicosdoaccoacsoosecoCLETe “HBOCcOnODOSOnN

CUNEATE-TAILED GutL, Rhodostethia rosea,
P.Z.S., 1878, p. 163, H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.|
“Melville Peninsula, 693° N. lat., and
Boothia,” &e. “Once to England.”—H.
Sand erpiecccoseseeecescscrses cove nsonacsncicaamr elnino

Ivory Guiu, Pagophila eburnea, P.Z.S., 1878,
p- 163, H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] Arctic re-
gions. Rare visitant to Great Britain .........

Kirrrvake Guu, Rissa tridactyla, Yarrell, Brit.
Birds, ii. p. 447; P. Z.S., 1878, p. 168,
H. Saunders. [Sea-gull.] ‘* Arctic region, and
along the sea coast of the Subarctic region,
breeding perhaps even in the Canaries.”—
FX. Samnders: ...........0.ccccccsscscscscnscenncnsernne

Common Sxwa, Stercorarius catarrhactes, P.Z.5.,
1876, p. 319, H. Saunders. [Cape Hen.]|
Faroes, Shetland Islands, &C. ..........seseeeeeeee

PomaTorHINE Sxua, S. pomatorhinus, P.Z.8.,
1876, p. 324, H. Saunders. [Cape Hen.|
“Most northern locality recorded is lat.
82° N., Arctic and Subarctic regions, &e.”—
(Ee SHUT OTS ieee cceed aca a-weesaecnesine sis acim mn toes

Ricuarpson’s Sku, S. crepidatus, P.Z.S., 1876,
p- 326, H. Saunders. [Cape Hen.] “Up to
82° 2'N, Arctic and Subarctic regions, as far
south as the islands of the North of Scotland.”

PAGE

78

78

78

79

79

79

79

80, 81

82, 83

83, 84

==—EI SAUNGSIS eee cccecceere esas slencenseeeiatineivesioss S4—86

Burron’s Sxua, Lone-rarnep Sxkua, S. para-
siticus, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 3380, H. Saunders,
[Cape Hen.] ‘Novaya Zemlya to Spitz-
bergen, and, south of these points, throughout
the whole circuit of the Arctic region.
Autumnal visitor to Western Europe.’”—
Hi. Saunders ...........cccecsseecsesceececerecseeneers

Cumin Sxua, S. chilensis, P.Z.S., 1876, p. 323,
H. Saunders. [Cape Hen.|] Chili ............

Antarctic Skua, S. antarcticus, P. Z. S., 1876,
p- 321, H. Saunders. [Cape Hen.] Antarctic
YOQION ..eeccsecssccsccccccncccescnsccessencrsccanscnsces

86, 87

85

AP PHN DT X.

HINTS ON SKINNING.

Dime con quién andas, decirte he quién eres: ‘ Tell me thy friends, and I will tell thee thy character,”
says the old Spanish proverb. Show me your skins, an ornithologist would say, and I will do likewise.
And, indeed, though almost anyone can, in some way or other, manage to despoil a bird of its plumage, it
requires no common combination of qualities to perform that operation with absolute success. Neatness,
manual dexterity, adaptability to circumstances, and, above all, patience, are all essential in becoming a
good taxidermist. In comfortable quarters, perhaps, the difficulties are but few, but the naturalist is by no
means always certain of obtaining them; and those alone who have fought against the heat and insect-pests
of the tropics, or attacked their subject with fur-gloves on, in a tent with the thermometer far below
freezing-point, can have any idea of the indomitable perseverance that is often necessary in the practice
of their art.

In these lines, however, it is not intended to discuss the moral qualities of the taxidermist, but rather
to supply him with a few hints which he may advantageously combine with them, and enable him to cope
with some of the difficulties to which allusion has just been made. And, first, it is essential to be provided
with proper tools. The cases usually sold for skinning purposes are of little use. A student’s dissecting-
case is the best foundation, and it may be obtained at any surgical-instrument maker’s. It should contain
half a dozen scalpels of varying sizes and good steel, a pair of forceps, a set of chain-hooks, and a pair of
stout scissors. To these should be added two or three common skewers, from six inches to a foot in length,
a pair of small tinman’s shears, a large and tolerably strong scalpel for rough work, a second pair of
forceps, a pair of stout nail-scissors, and various brushes for dressing the skins with arsenical soap. For
birds of medium size none are so good as the brushes usually sold with the sixpenny bottles of gum at
stationers’ shops. Larger specimens, such as Albatrosses, will require house-painters’ brushes of small
size, while, for the smaller species, camel's-hair brushes should be used. The skinner should provide
himself with two or three of each size. Needles of various sizes (some of them may with advantage be the
ordinary curved surgical needles), tailors’-thread, tow, wadding, a tin of arsenical soap, and one of plaster
of Paris, will complete his outfit; but, in places where he will be unable to obtain the loan of a fine
meat-saw, a small surgical saw (such as is used in the amputation of fingers) should also be taken, if it is
desired to avoid considerable trouble in the division of the wing-bones of large birds.

The above will be the necessaries required by the skinner, if his work lies within the limits of
civilisation, and bulk is a matter of no consideration. Without the proper appliances he will never be able
to produce good work. But in the case of trayel in unexplored countries, where every ounce of baggage has
to be carefully considered, it is another matter, and experience will be his chief guide. A great deal may

ii APPENDIX.

no doubt be done with arsenical soap and a sharp pocket-knife only, and in many countries soft dry moss
or lichen is so abundant as to obviate the necessity of carrying stuffing of any kind. But, if possible, the
tyro should learn his work in a civilised country, and defer adventuring himself to the “shifts and expedients
of camp life” until he is a past master in the art.

A word or two is necessary with regard to arsenical soap. As a rule it can be procured at almost any
birdstuffer’s, but it is by no means always of good quality. The following is the best recipe for its
preparation :-—

White Soap c : c 5 : - : é : 13 ib.

Arsenic 3 j : “ 3 5 F ‘ A : 1 tb.
Salts of Tartar . é 3 5 : : 5 . é 8 oz.
Camphor . 3 : 5 ; 5 : : : : 4 oz.

Powdered Chalk . i ‘ 5 ; ; 3 ‘ ‘ 2, OZ.

Shred the soap very fine into a pot, and add as little water as is necessary to dissolve it, stirring
gently over a slow fire. When well dissolved add the chalk and salts of tartar, and mix thoroughly.
Take it off the fire, and add the arsenic slowly, stirrimg meanwhile. Pound the camphor in a mortar with
spirits of wine, add, and mix the whole thoroughly. It should then be poured into small tins, and left to
set. In using, it should be worked up into a good lather before applying it to the skin.

Most birds, if not quite dead on being picked up, can be killed by compression of the thorax laterally ;
the thumb and fingers being placed on opposite sides of the breast immediately beneath the wings. But
this plan will not answer for very large birds, which are often very tenacious of life. The best method of
procedure in these cases is to sever the spinal cord immediately behind the brain with a sharp penknife,
but it is an operation requiring a certain amount of anatomical knowledge and skill, in the absence of
which pressure with the knee on the breast-bone is the best substitute. The bird having been killed, the
colour of the iris, legs, beak, and cere (if present) should be noted, as these parts often fade with great
rapidity after death. Wool should be stuffed tightly down the throat, and the nostrils and all shot-wounds
that seem likely to bleed should also be plugged with the same material. The bird should then be carefully
wrapped in a handkerchief or towel, or hung by the beak upon the collecting-stick. On reaching home the
specimens should be hung up in some cool place, and carefully guarded from all possible injury by cats,
ants, flies, and other enemies of the ornithologist. ‘Too great stress cannot be laid upon the exercise of
caution in this respect in tropical climates, for, in countries where the white ant is abundant, an hour or
two is quite sufficient for the conversion of one’s most valuable specimens into skeletons.

We will presume these dangers to have been successfully avoided, and the tyro to be seated at his
table anxious to commence on his first subject. His first proceeding will be to measure its length from the
beak to the tip of the tail, it being no longer stiff from rigor mortis, which has hitherto rendered that
operation difficult. The nostrils and throat should then be re-plugged with cotton-wool, and the ears and
vent likewise, a precaution which, if neglected, very often results in the complete ruin of the skm. Many
specimens will have their feathers more or less soiled with blood, which is especially noticeable in the
Gulls and Albatrosses, and other sea-birds in which the plumage is for the most part white. These should
be cleaned with a sponge and hot water, the sponge being constantly squeezed out, and only used in the
direction of the feathers. The operator must not be disheartened by the bedrabbled appearance thus
produced, although he should use his sponge as dry as he can, but should persevere until the plumage
becomes fairly clean. He then takes a couple of the wire skewers between the thumb and finger of his
right hand, and scatters plenty of plaster of Paris on the spot from time to time with his left, beating
meanwhile most energetically with the skewers. This should be no leisurely operation, or the tyro will find
the feathers set together in a solid block; but if properly carried out, and the beating kept up without
intermission and as rapidly as possible for ten minutes or so, the plumage, on being shaken free from the

APPENDIX. iii

plaster of Paris, will be found as feathery and snow-white as if it had never previously been soiled. The
skinner should now carry out the following directions as closely as he can :—

Lay the bird on the table with its beak to your left. Feel for the upper end of the breast-bone, and
make a parting in the feathers from that point down the middle line of the body to the vent. This is the
line of your incision, and, though it does not much matter how deep you make it on the breast, you should
take the greatest care to make it only skin-deep on the abdomen. Your knife cannot be too sharp. Next
pinch up the edge of the skin nearest you with the forceps, and after a stroke or two with the knife you will
be able to get hold of it between your thumb and fingers. Over the breast and abdomen it is usually easily
separable from the body, and the handle of the scalpel or even the finger should supplement the knife if
possible. Skin back as far as the wing and inside of the thigh—as far, indeed, as you conveniently can.
Have a packet of shaving-papers or any thin rough paper at hand, torn up into various-sized pieces.
Cover the body and inside of the skin with these, and press them on ; they will adhere tightly, and prevent
the edges of the feathers from becoming blood-stained. Next grasp the right leg from the outside, and
push it inwards towards the body between the first two fingers of the left hand, which should be used
meanwhile to retract the skin as far as possible. Cut off the leg at the knee-joint, and clean the ‘“‘drum-
stick.” Brush it well with arsenical soap, wrap it in wool, brush the latter again with soap, and return it.
Next work off the skin from the outer and back part of the thigh, using your fingers and the handle of the
scalpel as much as possible. The skin ought by this time to be separated from the body on that side,
nearly as far as the middle line of the back. Turn your bird round with its head to your right hand, and
go through exactly the same process on the other side. You should be able nearly, if not quite, to jom
your former work over the back. Both legs are now finished, but the skin is adherent at the vent and tail,
which you have as yet left untouched. Take a piece of twine or thin whipcord about eighteen inches in
length, and tie the ends together. Make a catch-loop, and hitch it round the flesh of the thigh just below
the head of the bone. Do the same on the other side, and you will thus have the two thighs connected by
a loop of string by which the bird can be suspended. Have a string fastened to a hook or some other
contrivance in the ceiling just above your head, of sufficient length to reach your table. By passing this
through the loop above mentioned, and making fast with an adjustable knot, you will have your bird hung
up at a convenient height, just level with your face. As your skinning progresses, you will of course have
to alter the height from time to time by shortening up your string. The advantages of this contrivance are
enormous; but in the open air, and on other occasions where it cannot be made use of, the chain-hooks
will have to be substituted, two hooks being inserted in the body and the other in your table. By this
means you will be able to get a pull on the skin, much as if a second person were holding the body of the
bird; but it is by no means so convenient as the other method.

Having hung up your bird, then, proceed to skin the tail, an operation which will require all your
care. Cut the gut across just before the vent, and as you retract the skin, keep your left thumb outside
and underneath, gently pressing the tail upwards. A careful examination of the blunt mass before you—
the “pope’s nose” in a fowl—will show it to be composed of two rounded lumps on either side, with a
wedge of bone between them. These lumps are the insertions of the rectrices or large feathers of the tail,
and must on no account be cut, or the feathers will fall out. The bone between them has, however, to be
eut across, and this is best done with the tips of the nail-scissors. A touch or two of the knife will now
separate the parts, and the skin is then free up to the wings. Shorten the string, and cover the newly-
exposed surfaces with paper as before. Many people break the bones of the wings before beginning to skin,
as they are apt to get in one’s way. It is, however, a bad plan, and practice will teach you how to
overcome the slight difficulties they cause. Skinning the wing is not so simple as the leg. It should be
worked first from the front and then from the back (an easy matter if the bird is suspended), until the
elbow-joint is visible. Cut off the meat cleanly from the bone, and cut through the latter in its middle
part. Scissors, tinman’s shears, or fine saw will be required, according to the size of the bird: the latter

iv APPENDIX.

instrument has the advantage of not splintering the bone. Brush with the soap, and wrap in wool in the
same manner as the leg. Having finished the second wing, which is much easier than the first, the neck
will be found to offer no difficulties, but care should be taken not to prick the jugular veins. It often
requires considerable patience to get the skin over the head. In some birds, especially in the case of
Ducks, Woodpeckers, and Parrots, it is an impossibility, and another method has to be adopted, which will
be referred to presently. On the head you will revert to your forceps. The ear is soon reached, and it
should be cut across as near the bone as you can—within the meatus itself, if possible. In small and
thin-skinned birds you will be able to pull the skin out of the ear with the forceps. Having finished the
ear on both sides, the eye next appears, and, from the conjunctiva or covering of the eye-ball being closely
connected with the eyelid, it will have to be cut through. It appears as a thin, semitransparent membrane,
which is easily recognisable by practice, but care is necessary, in the case of the novice, lest the thin
lower eyelid should be mistaken for it and ‘‘button-holed”—a mistake that would be fatal to the
appearance of your specimen on that side. Finish the other eye, and work back the skin till the
appearance of the base of the beak warns you that you have gone far enough, and that the first part of
your task is over.

Now take the bird down. ‘Take out the eyes, but be careful not to rupture them. With your pair of
strong scissors cut away a portion of the base of the brain, but do not make too large an opening. Join
this with two incisions made boldly along both edges of the floor of the under jaw, but do not cut into the
articulation of the latter with the head. This will separate the body, leaving the head attached to the skin,
but the former should not be thrown away. Remove the brains, and clean the skull thoroughly of the meat
attached to it. Dress it well with the soap, which should of course be made into a lather previous to its
application. Note the size of the eyeballs, and fill the sockets with tightly screwed-up pellets of clean
cotton-wool of the same dimensions. Stuff the skull with the same material. Clean your fingers, and,
holding up the bird with the finger and thumb of the left hand over the orbits, cover the neck plentifully
with soap, and then turn the skin right side out. This operation is facilitated by feeling for the point of
the beak with the fingers of the right hand, but, if the neck is too long to enable you to reach it, a small
ruler or blunt stick pushed up from the feather side will often assist you considerably. Be sure that the
skin is well pulled over the head. Arrange the eyelids so as to show a good circular eye of wool, and lay
the skin on its back before you—the beak to your left. Note the thickness of the neck in the carcase, and
construct a similar one of wadding, but some three or four inches longer; it should be tightly rolled
between the palms of the hands. Take a turn or two round the point of a skewer, having first moistened
one end of the wool with soap to make it “‘bite.”” By this means you can thrust it up the neck from the
opening in the body, and bring it out at the mouth; it should be well soaped previously. Free the skewer
and withdraw it, and you will find that you will be able to lengthen or shorten the neck, as you think
necessary, by pulling the beak out, or the feathers of the neck to the right.

You have still the wings left to fish. In small birds the amount of meat on them is so small that it
may be left to dry without much risk, but all specimens larger than a Blackbird should have it removed in
the following manner :—Open the wing, and fix it steady on the table by means of a couple of stout pins
driven through the parts in the neighbourhood of the carpal and elbow-joints. Your incision should be
made between these two points, along the whole length of what corresponds to the fore-arm in man, and on
the inner surface of the wing. Having worked the skin back as far as you conveniently can, it may be
kept out of the way by means of the chain-hooks, while you remove the flesh from between and around the
two bones. Dress with the soap, and lay a strip or two of wool inside. It is only in the larger birds that
you will require a stitch or two to keep the edges of the skin together. Your bird is now nearly finished.
Remove the adherent pieces of paper from the inside of the body, and dress well with arsenical soap,
especially at the root of the tail. Look well at the carcase, and construct a tightly-packed body of tow or
cotton-wool as near its size and shape as you can. Insert it carefully, pull the skin together, and sew it up.

APPENDIX. Vv

Cut off the piece of wool protruding from the mouth, and tie the beak up, or it will gape in an unsightly
manner. Small birds should be placed head downwards in a cone of paper, and hung up. Large
specimens should have the wings kept together by tying a piece of tape round the body, the head should be
kept in the right position, and the bird left undisturbed until it is dry. The length of time that this takes
varies with the climate. In excessively damp regions, like New Guinea, skins never dry thoroughly unless
exposed to the sun or artificial heat; while in the uplands of Africa they will sometimes become quite stiff
before you have finished removing them, and require to be damped again previous to the insertion of
the body.

The sex of the specimen has next to be determined. Cut the abdomen open, and push aside the
intestines until the back-bone is visible. Lying close against it, and on either side, two whitish glandular
bodies—the testes—will be seen if the bird is a male. If a female, the ovaries will be found occupying the
same position—a collection of minute globular bodies resembling a miniature bunch of grapes. In the
breeding season these will often be found of considerable size. In some cases, especially if the bird is
badly shot in that region, it may be impossible to distinguish the sex, and, if so, the fact should be
recorded on the label which, on finishing your bird, you will invariably affix to its leg. Recollect that,
without some indication of the locality and sex, every specimen is practically valueless from a naturalist’s
point of view. For almost everyone forming a collection, however small it may be, it is worth while to
have these labels printed. The cost is very small,—a few shillings only,—and the trouble saved is
considerable. The example here given is a very good model. On the one side the colour of the iris, bill,

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and legs will be noted; on the other there is a space for the insertion of the length of the specimen, and
another for the number referring to any entry you may have made in your note-book. Above these are
two blank lines; at the end of the first you will write the symbols ¢ or 2, according as the specimen is a
male or female, leaving the rest to be filled in afterwards with the scientific name. On the second you will
note the exact locality (or the latitude and longitude, if at sea) where the bird was shot, together with
the date.

Allusion has been made to the impossibility, in some cases, of getting the skin of the neck to pass
over the head. To obviate this difficulty the neck will have to be severed, and the skin turned right side
outwards. A longitudinal incision will then have to be made in the skin of the upper part of the neck, of
sufficient size to admit of the passage of the head. The back of the neck is the best place in which to
make it. The head being cleaned as in the directions already given, it should be returned, and the incision
carefully sewn up with fine stitches before the cotton-wool neck is inserted.

Your specimen is now skinned, dried, and labelled. It only remains for you to store it in some place
of safety, where neither cats nor insects can get at it. In Europe you will not have much difficulty in this,
but in many parts of the tropics the preservation of one’s skins, owing to white ants and other pests, is a
constant source of anxiety. On the whole the best method is to place them, with plenty of loose camphor,
in camphor-wood boxes, made air-tight by pasting fine cotton-wool on the edges. As they accumulate they
ean, if perfectly dry, be soldered up in tin boxes. Then, and then only, is the collector’s mind at rest.

F. H. H. GUILLEMARD.

PRINTED BY WEST, NEWMAN AND CO., HATTON GARDEN, LONDON,

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