. The popular natural history . Zoology. GULLS. 409. WANDERING ALBATROSS.—{Diomedta (xu/am.) The Albatross malces its home on the lofty precipices of Tristan d'Acunha,> the Crozettes, the Marion Islands, and other similar localities. The Fulmar Petrel is rather a large bird, being about nineteen inches long, and stoutly built. It is very plentiful at St. Kilda, and is used for various purposes, furnishing down and oil, besides being itself eaten. Like several other Petrels, the Fulmar is able, when alarmed, to eject from the mouth the oil with which they are so liberally sup- plied. The egg
. The popular natural history . Zoology. GULLS. 409. WANDERING ALBATROSS.—{Diomedta (xu/am.) The Albatross malces its home on the lofty precipices of Tristan d'Acunha,> the Crozettes, the Marion Islands, and other similar localities. The Fulmar Petrel is rather a large bird, being about nineteen inches long, and stoutly built. It is very plentiful at St. Kilda, and is used for various purposes, furnishing down and oil, besides being itself eaten. Like several other Petrels, the Fulmar is able, when alarmed, to eject from the mouth the oil with which they are so liberally sup- plied. The egg-for there is never more than one—of the Fulmar Petrel is laid upon a narrow ledge of cliff, and always at a con- siderable distance from the summit and the bottom of the rock. The large family of the Gulls is here represented by two species, both of which are among our British birds. The Black- backed Gull is a very fine bird, not very plentiful on our coasts, but spread over the greater part of the British shores. This bird prefers low-lying and marshy lands, and is found on the flat shores of Kent and Essex at the mouth of the Thames, where it is popularly known under the name of the Cob. It is very plentiful on the shores of Sweden and Norway, and on some of the islands of Shetland and Orkney it breeds in abundance, the eggs being highly valued on account of their rich flavour and their large size. It is a fierce bird, and when wounded will fight vigorously for its liberty. The nest of this species is of grass, and generally contains three eggs of greenish dun flecked with grey and brown. In the summer plumage the head and neck of the Great Black-backed Gull are white ; the upper surface of the body is dark leaden grey, with some white upon the quill feathers of the wings ; tlie whole of the under surface is pure white, and the legs and feet are pinkish. The length of this bird is about thirty inches. The common Tern, or Sea SWALLOVif, is very plentiful on ourcoa
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
