. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. KULMAR I'KTKKli—i'/m(7/(i,»i ijlurwlh day or two old at the fartliest, tliickly covered with k)iig white down. The young were very clamorous ou being handled, and vomited a quantity ot clear oil, with wliich 1 sometimes observed the parent birds feedii g them by disgorging it. The old birds, on being seized, instantly vomit a quantity ot clear amber-coloured oil, which imparts to the whole bird, its nest and young, and even to the rock which it l', a peculiar and very disagreea
. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles. KULMAR I'KTKKli—i'/m(7/(i,»i ijlurwlh day or two old at the fartliest, tliickly covered with k)iig white down. The young were very clamorous ou being handled, and vomited a quantity ot clear oil, with wliich 1 sometimes observed the parent birds feedii g them by disgorging it. The old birds, on being seized, instantly vomit a quantity ot clear amber-coloured oil, which imparts to the whole bird, its nest and young, and even to the rock which it l', a peculiar and very disagreeable odour. Fulmar oil is among the most valuable! productions ot ,St. Kilda. The best is obtained i'rom jthe old bird. The Fulmar Hies with great buoyancy and considerable rapidity, and wlien at sea is generally seen skimming ahmg the surface of the waves at a slight elevation, though 1 never observed one to alight or pick up any- thing from the ; In the Arctic regions the Fulmar Petrel accompanies the whaler, flocking round the ship as soon as a whale is ca]>tured, and esigerly devouring all the stray bits uf blubber that are wasted during the process of flensing. It is au aumsiug sight to watch these birds during the process, for they squabble and light over their meal in their anxiety to secure the best and largest morsels, and contrive to swallow pieces of blubber that seem large enough to choke them. It ^is said that the birds will sometimes assendjle near a living whale, and so indicate to the practised eye the whereabouts of the huge quarr^'. The colour of the Fulmar Petrel is white upon tlu; liead and neck, pearl-grey on tlic upper surface, and pure white on all the lower surface. The length of the adult liird is not quite twenty inches. There are several other British examples of the Petrids, such as the Cappkd Petkel {ProceUaria ha'Si'fata), notable for the ])atcli of white on the toji of the head ; the pretty Fork-tailed Petrel [TlniJiissldruiim Le(i
Size: 2143px × 1166px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectnaturalhistory
