. A history of British birds. By the Rev. Morris .. . as belonging to Canada, andon by the States to the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and Georgia,and other parts; also in Bermuda. A specimen of this Petrel flew on board a small sloop,near the Island of Valentia, off the south-west coast of Ireland,late in the evening of the 11th. of May, 1853. They are very tameable birds. They are able in flight, and skim low over the sea in searchof food, and, sa^^s Audubon, on approaching a mass of weeds,raise their wings obliquely, drop their legs and feet, run asit were on the water, and at length alight
. A history of British birds. By the Rev. Morris .. . as belonging to Canada, andon by the States to the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and Georgia,and other parts; also in Bermuda. A specimen of this Petrel flew on board a small sloop,near the Island of Valentia, off the south-west coast of Ireland,late in the evening of the 11th. of May, 1853. They are very tameable birds. They are able in flight, and skim low over the sea in searchof food, and, sa^^s Audubon, on approaching a mass of weeds,raise their wings obliquely, drop their legs and feet, run asit were on the water, and at length alight on the sea, wherethey swim with much ease and dive freely, at times passingseveral feet under the surface. Whenever an individual settlesin a spot, many fly up directly and join it. They appear to make use of the bill to assist them inclimbing up rocky places. They roost in the daytime increvices and under stones, namely, when on the land, reposingotherwise on the bosom of the deep, and coming forthtowards evening to prowl and prey, the dim light of the. DUSKY PETREL. 131 cold pale moon being more suitable to their habits than thebright glare of the sun. They feed on fish, and almost any kind of food. The egg, for one only is laid, is pure white. Male; length, eleven inches; bill, bluish black; the toothcurved and shining black; iris, brown. Head on the sides,below the level of the eyes, white towards the back, where,and on the sides of the neck, the black and white comminglein grey, slightly in the form of bars. Head on the crownand sides, neck on the back, and nape, black. Chin, throat,and breast, white; the last-named somewhat dusky behind thelegs. Back, black. The axillary plume is white. Greater and lesser wing coverts,white; primaries, secondaries, and tertiaries, black; the pri-maries are blackish grey underneath, darkest near the shaftof each feather, being lighter in colour over the outer partof each broad inner web. Tail, black above, underneathuniform leaden grey; u
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpublisherl, booksubjectbirds
