They are filent in the day, but very clamorous in the night; and
are called by the failors, Mother Cary's Chickens, and Witchess.
They are excellent divers, and appear to flay under water half an
hour without riling. Often give the idea of Swallows, as, lilts?
them, they Ikim the furface of the water; at other times appear
to. run on the top of it *. Their food fuppofed to be fmallyz/ft;
but they will pick up, or at leaft examine, every fcrap which falls
from the Ihips which they follow f . Pretty common to the north:
found in Kamtfcbatka%. In the Ferro Ifles the inhabitants draw
a wick through the body, from the mouth to the vent ; which,
when lighted, ferves them for Ibme time, burning like a lamp,
beino- fed by the vaft quantity of oil contained in the body of it,
as well as other birds of this genus §..
It is probable that thefe birds build in the holes of the rocks ^
like many of the genus; as Mr. Tennant obferved them in Aitgufl,
off the end of the Ifle o f Skie, lurking among the loofe Hones,
and betraying themfelves by their twittering noife ||.
They are alfo met with not unfrequent in the Southern regions.
For ft er ** faw them in latitude 25 degrees 5 Damper \ f in 31:
degrees; and Oßeck in 34 degrees fouth.
* Damp, Voy. Hi. p. 97.
4 Feaft along with other fea-biris : when we threw the guts of pigs over-
“ board, they generally were the fir it and laft on fuch an occafion.”— Oft. Vy,
i . p. 113.
} Htft. Kamtschatka, p. 155.— Thofe found here are larger than have been obferved
elfewhere. Arci. Zool.
§ Bran. Orn. p. 29. I! Br. Zool. ** Koy. i . p. 50. I IQ,
f t Toy, Hi,, p. 97. tX i* P* 113*
CAL ERNE mentions a fpecies differing from the above: it
is of the fame fize, but differs in colour. The bill is black :
back the fame, wived with blueilh purple: the head, crop, and
fides of the body, nearly blue, reflecting black and violet in different
lights : the hind part of the neck of a changeable green
and purple: the upper parts of the wings and rump fpotted with
white: the reft of the body black: the legs lhort and black.
This is found in the fea about Italy; and, as the others, feems
to-live on the furface of the water, no one having ever yet feen it
on land; and its prefence faid to forebode a ftorm, be the weather
ever fo ferene :. feen always in flocks
g l Z E of the Little Auk, and of a ftout make, not unlike that
bird: length eight inches and a quarter. The bill nearly an
inch long, ftout and black;, the middle of the under mandible
white on the fides: irides dulky blue: the plumage on the upper
parts is black brown : beneath white, except the chin, which, is
black; the fkin of that part, and of the throat, is loofe, ferving
as a pouch, as in the Frigate Pelican: the wings are rather lhorter
than the ta il:, the legs of a blueilh green.: webs black : the Ipur
at the back part wanting..
Thefe are met with in Queen Charlotte’s Sound, and other parts
in the neighbourhood of New Zealand. Were feen in vaft flocks,
fluttering on the furface.of the water, or fitting on it; and diye
18.
V a r A .
D e s c r i p t i o n *
P l a c e **
DIVING P.
D es c -r i p t i o w **
f Salerne Orn* p. 383»