Manx Shearwater.
Procellaria Anglonm, Raii Syn., p. 134.
Puffinus Anglonm, Briss. Orn., tom. vi. p. 131.
Procellaria pujfinus, Bi’iinn. Orn. Bor., p. 20.
Nectris Anglorum, Kuhl, Mon. Proc. Beit. Zool., p. 146.
Puffinus arcticus, Fab. Prod. Isl. Orn., p. 56.
Cymotomus Anglorum, Macgill. Man. of Brit. Orn., vol. ii. p. 13.
Nectris puffinus, Keys. & Bias. Wirb. Eur., p. 94.
There are but few situations in the British Islands which are of a rocky nature and facing the sea, nor any
little inlets around our coasts, that are not visited by the Shearwater; and in many of them it breeds: the
Isles o f Scilly on the south, the Farn Islands on the east, Lundy and the Isle o f Man on the west, the
Orkneys, Shetlands, and Hebrides and St. Kilda in the North Atlantic are only a few o f the localities frequented.
It is also found in Iceland, in the Faroe Islands, Spitzbergen, on the coast o f Norway, in the Baltic Seas, in
Heligoland, on the coasts o f France and Spain, and throughout the whole o f the Mediterranean, in Madeira,
the Azores, and on many parts o f the eastern shores o f North America. During some periods o f its existence
it lives far out at sea, at others within soundings. At the period of incubation it makes a cradle for its
young in the deserted rabbit-holes on the low islands and shores in which those creatures abound, the lee sides
o f great stones near the beach, the crevices in upright basaltic rocks, and all similar situations. Its powers
of flight are considerable, and, being very restless, it spends much of its time in flying to and fro in a direct
line over the surface of the water.
The late D. W. Mitchell’s account of the bird as seen by him on the coast of Cornwall is given with all
the freshness o f his wonted style, and with the faithfulness and geniality of a true lover of nature. This
account I shall repeat here, believing that it will not be the less interesting because it has previously appeared
in my late friend Yarrell’s ‘ History of British Birds.’
“ To the westward o f St. Agnes, in the Scilly group, lies a barren island called Annet. Its northern slope
is abrupt and craggy; it gradually slopes towards the south, and narrows into a sort of peninsula, where the
sandy soil is rich enough to produce a dense growth of short ferns. Here is the stronghold of the Shearwater.
Sit down on a rock which commands the little territory, and you will see nothing but the Terns, who
have a station on the higher and central part o f the island, and are making a flight o f inquiry. Yes, you will
see a hundred or two o f Oystercatchers, who do not like your landing so near their nests, and make short
journeys, hither and thither, whistling all the while like birds possessed. You will see two or three pairs of
Turnstones and a few Ring-Dotterels, perhaps a Curlew. You may wait all a sunny day in June, but not a
Shearwater will you see on land or water. There are plenty near you all the time, however, as you may
ascertain by the odour which issues from the first burrow you look into among the ferns. As soon as the sun
is down, you will see a little party o f five or six flitting silently across the sound, or steering out to sea. The
latest fishers from the colony of Terns are coming home from the sandy shallows, five or six miles away, with
their throats and beaks crammed with Lance-fish, when the Shearwaters begin to wake. You will not see them
come out o f their holes; you first catch sight of them skimming round the corner o f a rock close to the water.
Perhaps they will have a great gathering, such as I observed one evening in ‘ Smith’s Sound.’ There was
a congregation of at least three hundred in the middle o f the tideway, washing, dipping, preening feathers,
and stretching wings, evidently just awake, and making ready for a night’s diversion. As I wanted a few
specimens more than I had dug out o f the burrows, I ran my boat well up to them, and, when they rose, got
as many as I wished, besides a few unfortunate cripples who were only winged, and proved by their agility
in swimming and diving, a good deal too much for my boatmen. I think a good dog would have no chance
with them; they allowed me to come quite close. They sit low in the water, and make no noise when
disturbed, though in their holes they are eloquent enough, the Scillonian synonyms of Crew and Cocka
thodon being derived from the guttural melodies they pour forth when the spade approaches the end in
which the egg is deposited. I once caught a pair in a burrow who were crooning a duet of this kind
before we commenced operations. I presume they were in the honeymoon, as there was no egg. They
produce but one egg, which, when fresh-laid, is o f the most dazzling whiteness, and of a peculiarly beautiful
texture. It measures two inches and five lines in length, by one inch and nine lines in breadth, is very
large for the size o f the bird, and is frequently deposited on the fine sandy soil without any preparation,
though generally there is a slight accumulation of fern-leaves and old stems. When you kill a Shearwater