The Scottish Naturalist. 207 



day the 2 2d November last, during the very severe gale of that 

 morning. This bird was sent to me by Lord Strathallan, and 

 proved to be an adult female. Another example of this rare 

 British Petrel was got in A thole on the same morning by Mr 

 Campbell, gamekeeper, who found it lying dead on the lawn in 

 front of Blair Castle, as I was informed by Mr Malloch, Perth, 

 in whose hands it had been placed for preservation, together 

 with a fine specimen of the Little Storm-Petrel (Thalassidroma 

 pelagica) got on the same day dead in a small pond near Dup- 

 plin Castle by Mr Hart. 



To those who may not be familiar with these birds, it may not 

 be uninteresting to mention something of their habits. The 

 Little Storm -Petrel, the smallest of all our web -footed birds, 

 though a rover for the greater part of the year over the wide 

 Atlantic, often keeping for many days together in company with 

 some ship, both for food and shelter, is abundant during the 

 breeding season in June and July on most of the rocky promon- 

 tories, holms, and skerries along all our coasts from Scilly to 

 Shetland. Not so the Fork-tailed Petrel, a much larger bird, 1 

 and thoroughly oceanic in its habits, which, though perhaps not 

 actually uncommon, yet being a much shyer and more retiring 

 bird, seldom accompanies ships, like the Storm and Wilson's 

 Petrel (which, however, I have occasionally seen them do, but 

 keeping all the time at a respectful distance), and always breed- 

 ing on some far outlying spots, is not often met with. The 

 greater number of specimens obtained are generally, as in the 

 present instance, either picked up dead far inland, or when 

 driven on shore in an exhausted state, after some severe gale, 

 many instances of which have occurred from time to time, both 

 in this country and America. Strange to say, it was only com- 

 paratively a few years ago that this bird was held to be a dis- 

 tinct species, having been first separated by Dr Leach in the 



1 The total dimensions of the Strathallan specimen were as follows : — 



Length from point of bill to longest tail-feather, . 8 inches. 



11 11 to centre of fork of tail, . 7K " 



11 from anterior joint of wing to longest quill, 6 n 



11 11 carpel-joint to do., .... 6 l / 2 n 



Total spread of wings, . . . . . 18 n 

 Length of bill from base, .....in 



11 of middle toe, . . . . . ij4 » 



whereas in the Storm- Petrel the whole length does not quite reach § inches, 

 and the wing from the anterior joint not more than ^% inches. 



