Part 40

Another short swim and it dives again; and so it goes on, the time spent under the water being far in excess of that employed in taking breath. Advance openly or make a noise, it wastes no time in idle examinations or surmises of your intentions, but slips down as before, not, however, to reappear in the same neighbourhood. Its motives are different: it now seeks not food, but safety, and this it finds first by diving, and then by propelling itself by its wings under water in some direction which you cannot possibly divine; for it by no means follows that it will pursue the course to which its bill pointed when it went down. It can alter its line of flight beneath the water as readily as a swallow can change its course of flight through the air. But wherever it may reappear, its stay is now instantaneous; a trout rising at a fly is not more expeditious. You may even fail to detect it at all. It may have ensconced itself among weeds, or it may be burrowing in some subaqueous hole. That it has the power of remaining a long while submerged, I have no doubt. There is in the parish of Stamford Dingley, Berks, a large and beautiful spring of water, clear as crystal, the source of one of the tributaries of the Thames. I was once bending over the bank of this spring, with a friend, watching the water, some five or six feet down, as it issued from a pipe-like orifice and stirred the sand around like the bubbling of a cauldron, when there suddenly passed between us and the object we were examining a form so strange that we were at first doubtful to what class of animals we should refer it. In reality, it was a Dabchick, which, alarmed probably by the noise of our conversation, was making for a place of safety. As it passed within two or three feet of our faces, we could distinctly see that it propelled itself by its wings; but it appeared not to have observed us, for it kept on in a direct course towards the head of the spring. We searched long in the hope of discovering it again, but failed; and as there were no weeds among which it could possibly hide above water, and we could examine the bottom of the spring almost as thoroughly as if it contained air only, we could but conclude that our apparition had taken refuge in a hole under the bank.

Early in spring, when Dabchicks leave the small streams and watercourses for broader pieces of water, they have been observed to fly; and during the building season also they have been seen circling round in the air near the locality of their intended nest. The nest itself is constructed of weeds of all kinds, forming a thick mass raised but a few inches above the surface of the water, and invariably far enough from the bank to be inaccessible except by wading. The Dabchick lays five or six long-shaped eggs, pointed at either end, of a chalky white colour. These the bird, when she leaves the nest, covers with weeds for the purpose of concealment, and on her return continues the work of incubation without removing the covering, so that the eggs soon lose their white hue, and before the period of hatching have become very dirty. The young birds can swim and dive immediately on leaving the egg. I have never myself seen a Dabchick fly through the air or walk on land, neither have I ever heard its note. The latter, a low clicking and chattering sort of noise, it is said to utter in spring. It breeds even in St. James' Park. Females smaller than males.

ORDER TUBINARES

FAMILY PROCELLARIIDÆ

THE FULMAR PETREL PROCELLARIA GLACIÁLIS

Head, neck, under plumage, and tail, white; wings bluish ash, the primaries brownish grey; beak, irides, and feet, yellow. _Young of the year_ grey tinged with brown, mottled on the back with deeper brown; bill and feet yellowish ash. Length nineteen inches. Eggs white.

In some of the Outer Hebrides Fulmars breed; but the great station, to which tens of thousands annually resort, is the remote island of St. Kilda. To the Fulmar indeed, and in a less degree to the Gannet and two or three other sea-birds, the island is indebted for its being able to boast of human inhabitants. Eggs and birds, fresh or salted, furnish them with food; the Fulmar with oil: and feathers pay their rent. In the Shetlands it is said to be increasing.

Professor James Wilson says: 'The oil is extracted from both the young and old birds, which, however, they must seize on suddenly and strangle, else, as a defensive movement, the desired (and pungent) oil is immediately squirted in the face and eyes of their opponent.' This oil is ejected, not, as it is sometimes said, through tubular nostrils, but directly through the throat and open mouth. The flesh of the Fulmar is also a favourite food with the St. Kildans, who like it all the better on account of its oily nature.

The Fulmar is essentially a sea-bird, and never comes to land except in the breeding season, when it builds its nest of herbage on the grassy shelves of the highest cliffs, and lays a single egg, if which be taken, it lays no more. The young birds are fed with oil by the parents, and on being molested spurt out through the throat and open mouth the same fluid, which, being of a rank smell, infects not only the nest, but the whole neighbourhood. The young birds, which are taken early in August, are boiled, and made to furnish a large quantity of fat, which is skimmed off and preserved for winter use. The old birds are considered great dainties.

In the Arctic regions the Fulmar is well known for its assiduity in attending on whale ships, keeping an eager watch for anything thrown over; and when the operation of cutting up a whale is going on, helping itself most greedily to stray pieces of offal, and venturing so near as to be easily knocked down by a boathook or to be taken by hand.

Owing to the rankness of its food, the smell of the Fulmar is very offensive. A specimen recently shot was brought to me in Norfolk, early in January, 1862, and being a great rarity, was carefully preserved and set up; but on being sent home from the bird-stuffer's it was banished to an outhouse, where it has remained for three months without losing anything of its offensive odour.

THE GREAT SHEARWATER PUFFINUS MAJOR

Bill two inches long; tail pointed; upper plumage dusky; under, deep ash grey. Length eighteen inches.

The Great Shearwater is far less abundant than the preceding species, and may indeed be considered a rarity. A few solitary specimens have from time to time been shot on various parts of the coast, and they have occasionally been noticed in considerable numbers off the coast of Cornwall. In the Scilly Islands, where they are called 'Hackbolts', they are said to be yet more frequent. The Great Shearwater differs little in habits, as far as they are known, from the other species.

THE MANX SHEARWATER PUFFINUS ANGLORUM

Bill an inch and a half long; tail rounded; upper plumage brownish black lustrous; under white; sides of the neck barred with grey; sides spotted with grey. Length fourteen inches. Eggs nearly round; pure white.

That a bird whose generic name is _Puffinus_ should sometimes be called a 'Puffin' is not surprising; and the reader who meets with the name in books should satisfy himself whether the subject of his study be an Auk or a Shearwater, before he admits as facts any statements about the 'Puffin' which may fall in his way. Yarrell, for instance, gives the name of Puffin to the bird already described under the name of _Fratercula Arctica_, while by Montagu that bird is described under the name of 'Coulterneb', 'Puffin' being given as a synonym for the Shearwater. Off Cornwall it is called _skiddeu_ and _brew_.

The Shearwater is so called from its mode of flight, in which it 'shears' or skims the water; and its distinctive name, Manx, it owes to its having been formerly very abundant in the Calf[60] of Man, a small island lying south of the Isle of Man.

The Manx Shearwater is, during the greater portion of the year, an ocean-bird, and only ventures on shore during the breeding season. It then repairs to some island, or portion of the coast little frequented by man, and in society with other birds of the same species there takes up its summer quarters. A sandy or light earthy soil, scantily furnished with vegetation, is preferred to any other station. Its nest is a hole in the ground, either the deserted burrow of a rabbit or a tunnel excavated by itself, or less frequently it lays its one egg in the crevice of a rock. During the day Shearwaters, for the most part, remain concealed in their holes, and lie so close that they will suffer themselves to be dug out with a spade and make no attempt to escape. Towards evening they quit their hiding-places, and paddle or fly out to sea in quest of food. This consists of small fish and other marine animals which swim near the surface, and are caught by the birds either while they are floating or 'shearing' the water. No nest ever contains more than one egg, but that one and the chick which it produces are objects of the greatest solicitude.

Unfortunately for the poor Shearwaters, their young, though fed on half-digested fish oil, are delicate eating; consequently, some of the stations of these birds have been quite depopulated, and in others their numbers have been greatly thinned.

Willughby tells us that in his time 'Puffins' were very numerous in the Calf of Man, and that fully fledged young birds, taken from the nests, were sold at the rate of ninepence a dozen. He adds, that in order to keep an accurate reckoning of the number taken, it was customary to cut off, and retain, one of each bird's legs. The consequence was that the state in which the birds were sent to market was supposed to be their natural condition, and the Puffin was popularly believed to be a 'monopod' (one-footed bird).

This station is now nearly, if not quite, deserted; but colonies still exist in Annet, one of the Scilly Islands, on the south coast of Wales, in the Orkneys, and in the Shetlands. In the Scilly Islands the Shearwater is called a Crew, from the harsh note uttered by the bird when its burrow is invaded; in the north, a Lyrie or Scrabe.

[60] 'Calf', on many parts of the coast, is a name given to the smaller of two rocks in proximity, of which the larger is called the 'Cow'.

THE STORM-PETREL PROCELLARIA PELÁGICA

General plumage like the last; tail even at the extremity; legs moderate; membranes black. Length scarcely six inches. Eggs white.

Under the name of 'Mother Carey's Chickens' the Petrels must be known to all readers of voyages. According to the belief popular in the forecastle, these birds are invisible during calm or bright weather; but when the sky lowers, and a storm is impending, suddenly, no one knows whence, forth come these ill-omened heralds of the tempest, inspiring more terror than would be caused even by the hurricane which they are supposed to commence. In reality, the Petrels are scarcely birds of the day; they love to hide themselves in holes and behind stones. It is not, therefore, surprising that when the sea is calm, and the sun bright, they lurk in their hiding-places, if near enough to land; or, if on the open ocean, lie asleep on the surface of the water, unnoticed, because still and of small size. An overcast sky, however, awakes them as twilight would, and they leave their hiding-places, or rise from their watery bed, not because a storm is impending, but because the cloud which accompanies the storm brings them the desired gloom. When in motion they are more conspicuous than when at rest, and they follow the wake of a ship for the same reason that other sea-fowl do, for the sake of the offal thrown overboard. They will sometimes accompany a ship for days, showing that they have untiring power of wing, and to all but the superstitious greatly relieving the monotony of the voyage.

The Petrel builds its nest, a rude structure of weeds and rubbish, either in the hole of a cliff or under stones on the beach, and lays a single egg. It rarely comes abroad by day, and if disturbed ejects from its mouth an oily matter, after the manner of the Fulmar. Towards evening it comes forth from its stronghold, and skims the sea in quest of food, which consists of floating animal matter of all kinds. Its name, Petrel, or Little Peter, is derived from its habit of occasionally skimming along so close to the surface of the sea as to dip its feet in the water, and present the appearance of walking; but its ordinary flight is very like that of the Swallow.

The Storm-Petrel breeds in the Orkney, Shetland, and Scilly Islands and a few on the Welsh coast, also in the Channel Islands, but a genuine ocean-bird quits the land as soon as its young are able to accompany it. It is frequently seen in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and is not an uncommon visitor to our shores, especially during severe weather.

Its note is only heard during the season of incubation, when its retreat is often betrayed by a low twittering.

Storm-Petrels are gregarious birds; they breed in colonies, and skim the sea in small flocks. The French steamers which sail between Toulon and Algiers are said to be regularly accompanied by these birds.

THE FORK-TAILED PETREL PROCELLARIA LEUCORRHOA

General plumage like the last; tail forked; legs moderate; membrane dusky Length seven and a quarter inches. Eggs white, marked with small rusty spots.

The Fork-Tailed Petrel, a native of North America, does not differ materially in habits from the other species. It is met with almost annually on our east coast, and is common off Cornwall. In Ireland it is frequent. This species was first declared to be a British bird by Bullock, who found it at St. Kilda in 1818.

GLOSSARY OF COMMON AND PROVINCIAL NAMES AND OF TECHNICAL TERMS.

[M]: male [F]: female

Aberdeen Sandpiper: a name for the Knot Aberdevine: a name for the Siskin Accentor, Hedge: Sparrow, Chanter or Warbler Alk: the Razor-bill Allamotte: the Petrel Allan: the Skua Alp: a name for the Bullfinch Annet: the Kittiwake Gull Arctic-bird: the Skua Arctic Skua " Tern Assilag: the Petrel Awl: the Woodpecker

Badock: the Skua Bankjug: the Chiff-chaff and Willow Warbler Bargander: the Sheldrake Barley-bird: the Siskin and Wryneck Barred or Lesser-spotted Woodpecker Bar-tailed Godwit Basal: at or near the base Beam-bird: the Spotted Flycatcher Bean Crake: the Land-Rail " Goose Bearded Reedling Bee-bird: a name sometimes given to the Flycatcher; sometimes to the Willow Warbler " -eater " -hawk: the Honey Buzzard Beech-finch: the Chaffinch Bergander: the Sheldrake Bernicle Goose Billy: the Hedge Sparrow Billy-whitethroat: the Whitethroat Bittern Black-a-top: the Stonechat Black-billed Auk: a name given to the Razor-bill in the winter plumage of the first year Blackcap: a name sometimes given to the Black-headed Gull, the Marsh Tit, and Coal Tit Black Duck: the Scoter Blacky-top: the Stonechat Bloodulf: the Bullfinch Blind Dorbie: the Purple Sandpiper Blue-backed Falcon: the Peregrine Falcon " -bird: the Fieldfare " -cap: the Blue Tit " Darr: the Black Tern " Hawk: the Peregrine Falcon " -headed Wagtail: the grey-headed Wagtail " -tailed Bee-eater " Tit: the Tom Tit, the Blue-cap " -winged Shoveler: the Shoveler Boatswain: the Skua Brake-hopper: the Grasshopper Warbler Brambling, or Bramble-finch Bran: the Crow Brancher: the Goldfinch in its first year Brantail: the Redstart Brent Goose Broad-bill: the Shoveler Bronzie: the Cormorant Brook Ouzel: a name given to the Dipper, and incorrectly to the Water-Rail Brown Owl, or Tawny Owl " -Leader Gull: Black-headed Gull, Red-headed Gull or Hooded Gull " Starling: a name sometimes given to the young of the Starling " Tern: the Tern in its immature plumage Budfinch: the Bullfinch Bullfinch, Common " Pine, or Pine Grosbeak Bunting, Lapland, or Finch Burgomaster: the Glaucous Gull Burrow Duck: the Sheldrake Bustard, Great

Cackareer: the Kittiwake Gull Caddaw: the Jackdaw Calloo: the Long-tailed Duck Cargoose: the Crested Grebe Carinate: in the form of a keel Carrion Crow Car-swallow: the Black Tern Cere: the wax-like membrane which covers the base of the bill in the Falconidae Chaldrick or Chalder: the Oyster-catcher Chanchider: the Spotted Flycatcher Channel Goose: the Gannet Chanter, Hedge: Sparrow, Accentor or Warbler Charlie Miftie: the Wheatear Chank, and Chank-daw: the Chough Chepster: the Starling Cherry-finch: the Hawfinch Cherry-sucker, Cherry-chopper, and Cherry-Snipe: the Spotted Flycatcher. Chevy Lin: the Redpoll Chickell: the Wheatear Chickstone: the Stonechat Chippet Linnet: the Redpoll Church Owl: the White Owl Churn Owl: the Nightjar Churr: the Dunlin Cirl Bunting Clack Goose, Clakes: the Bernicle Goose Clatter Goose: the Brent Goose Clee: the Red Shank Cleff: the Tern Clinker: the Avocet Cloven-footed Gull: the Tern Coal-and-candle-light: the Long-tailed Duck Coal Goose: the Cormorant Coaly Hood: the Bullfinch or Coal Mouse Cob: the male Swan Cob: the Great Black-backed Gull Cobble: the Great Northern Diver Cobbler's Awl: the Avocet Cobweb: the Spotted Flycatcher Cockandy: the Puffin Cock-winder: the Wigeon Coddy Moddy: the common Gull in its first year's plumage Coldfinch: the Pied Flycatcher Colk: the King Duck Colin: a name in New Spain for Quail Compressed: flattened vertically Coot-foot: the Phalarope Copperfinch: the Chaffinch Corbie: the Raven Corndrake: the Land-Rail Cornish Crow, or Daw: the Chough Cornwall Kae: the Chough Coulterneb: the Puffin Crake, Little " Spotted Crank bird: the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Craw: part of the stomach in birds Cream-coloured Plover: Swiftfoot or Courser Courser Gull: the Glaucous Gull Creeper, Creep-tree, or Tree-creeper. These names are in some places given to the Nuthatch Crested Cormorant: the Shag " Heron, Common or Grey Cricket-bird: the Grasshopper Warbler Cricket Teal: the Garganey Crooked Bill: the Avocet Crossbill: Common Cuckoo's Leader or Mate: the Wryneck Cuhnen: the ridge of the upper mandible Cultrate: in the form of a billhook or pruning knife Curlew-Jack: the Whimbrel Curwillet: the Sanderling Cushat: the Ring Dove Cutty Wren: the Common Wren Cygnet: the young Swan

Daker Hen: the Land-Rail Danish Crow: the Hooded Crow Darr, Blue: the Black Tern Dertrum Depressed: flattened horizontally Deviling: the Swift Dick Dunnock: the Hedge Sparrow Dippearl: the Tern Dirty Allen: the Skua Dishwater: the Wagtail Diving Pigeon: the Guillemot Dobbler and Dobchick: the Lesser Grebe Door Hawk and Dorr Hawk: the Nightjar. Dorbie: the Dunlin Doucker: a popular name for a Grebe or Diver Doveky: the Black Guillemot Dove-coloured Falcon: the Peregrine Falcon Draine: the Missel Thrush Duck Hawk: the Marsh Harrier Ducker: a popular name for a Grebe or Diver Dulwilly: the Ring Plover Dunkir and Dunair: the Pochard Dun Crow: the Hooded Crow Dundiver: the female and young of the Merganser Dung Hunter: the Skua Dunlin Dunnock: the Hedge Sparrow

Earl Duck: the Red-breasted Merganser Easterling: the Smew Ebb: the Bunting Ecorcheur: the Shrike Egret: a tuft of long narrow feathers found on the lower part of the neck of the Herons. The name is also sometimes extended to the two tufts of feathers, resembling ears or horns, in some of the Owls Elk: the Hooper Swan Emmer or Ember Goose: the Great Northern Diver Emmet Hunter: the Wryneck Erne: the Eagle

Falk or Falc: the Razor-bill Faller: the Hen Harrier Fallow Chat, Fallow Finch, Fallow Lunch, or Fallow Smich: the Wheatear Fanny Redtail: the Redstart Fauvette: the Garden Warbler, also applied to others of the Warblers. Feather-poke: i. e. "sack of feathers" is the Chiff-chaff, so called from the materials and form of the nest Felt and Feltyfare: the Fieldfare Fiddler: the Common Sandpiper Field Duck: the Little Bustard Field Lark: the Skylark Fiery Linnet: the Common Linnet Finch, or Lapland Bunting Fire-crested Regulus or Wren Fire-tail: the Redstart Flapper: a young Duck Flopwing: the Lapwing Flusher: the Butcher-bird Foot: The foot of a bird consists of four, never less than three, toes, with their claws, and the joint next above, called the "tarsus" French Linnet: the Redpoll " Magpie: the Red-backed Shrike " Pie: the Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Gaggle: a flight of Wild Geese Gairfowl: the Auk and the Razor-bill Gallinule: the Moor Hen; this name is sometimes applied to the Crakes Gallwell Drake: the Land Drake Gannet: the Skua Garden Ouzel: the Blackbird " Warbler Gardenian Heron: the young of the Night Heron Gaunt: the Crested Grebe Gidd: the Jack Snipe Gillhowter: the White Owl Gladdy: the Yellow Hammer Glaucous Gull Glead, Gled, or Glade: the Kite Goat Owl and Goatsucker: the Nightjar Goldeneye Golden-crested Regulus, Warbler or Wren " Oriole or Thrush " Plover Gorcock: the Moor Cock Gorsehatch: the Wheatear Gorse-duck: the Corn Crake Gorse Linnet: the Common Linnet Goud Spink: the Goldfinch Gouldring: the Yellow Hammer Gourder: the Petrel Gouk: the Cuckoo Graduated: a term applied to the tail of a bird when the middle feathers are longest and the outer ones are shorter in gradation Greenwich Sandpiper: the Ruff Grey: the Gadwall Grey-bird: the Thrush Grey-Duck: the Gadwall " Coot-footed Tringa: the Phalarope " Crow: the Hooded Crow " Falcon: the Hen Harrier " Heron: common or Crested Heron " Lapwing, or Sandpiper: the Grey Plover " Linnet: the Common Linnet " Owl: the White Owl " Partridge: the Common Partridge " Shrike, Lesser: the Ash-coloured Shrike " Skit: the Water-Rail " -lag: Fen, Stubble, or Wild Goose Grisette: the Whitethroat Ground Lark: the Pipit and Bunting " Wren: the Willow Warbler Guldenhead: the Puffin Gull-tormentor: the Skua Gunner: the Great Northern Diver Gurfel: the Razor-bill Gustarda: the Bustard

Hackbolt: the Greater Shearwater Hadji: the Swift Hagdown: the Greater Shearwater Haggard: the Peregrine Falcon Hagister: the Magpie Half-Curlew: the Whimbrel and Godwit " -Duck: the Wigeon, Pochard, etc. " -Snipe: the Jack Snipe Harle: the Red-breasted Merganser Harpy: the Marsh Harrier Hawk Owl: this name is sometimes given to the Short-eared Owl Hay-bird, or Hay-Tit: the Willow Warbler Hay-Jack: the Garden Warbler and Whitethroat Heather Bleater: the Snipe Heath Throstle: the Ring Ouzel Hebridal Sandpiper: the Turnstone Heckimal: the Blue Tit Hedge-Chicken: the Wheatear " -Jug, the Long-tailed Tit Hegrilskip: the Heron Helegug: the Puffin Hellejay: the Razor-bill Hern, Hernshaw, Heronshaw: the Heron Heronsewgh: the Heron Herring-bar: perhaps a corruption of Herring-bird, Diver Herring Gant: the Gannet " Gull Hew-hole: the Woodpecker Hickwall: the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker High-hoo: the Woodpecker Hiogga: the Razor-bill Hissing Owl: the White Owl Hoarse Gowk: the Snipe Hoddy: the Crow Holm Cock and Holm Screech: the Mistle Thrush Hoop: the Bullfinch Hornfinch: the Petrel Horniwinks: the Lapwing Horra: the Brent Goose Horsefinch: the Chaffinch Horsmatch: the Red-backed Shrike, the Wheatear and Whinchat Howlet: the Brown Owl Howster: the Knot Huckmuck: the Long-tailed Tit Hullat: the Owl