2o8 The Scottish Naturalist. 



year 1819, he having purchased it at the sale of Mr Bullock's 

 Collection, who obtained it during the year previous at St Kilda, 

 where it was found breeding, and where it is still to be got at 

 that season. This was the first authenticated specimen (which 

 Dr Leach considered to be an undescribed species) obtained in 

 Great Britain, and which he transferred to the national collec- 

 tion in the British Museum, now at South Kensington, there 

 being at that time only three other examples known in Europe 

 — two in private collections in France, and one in the Paris 

 Museum. 



From the absorption of all fat and oily matter, with which the 

 Petrel is copiously supplied, and which, on capture, is ejected in 

 large quantities from the mouth and nostrils, as also from the 

 bloodless appearance of the flesh, as well as the total absence of 

 all food in the stomach, both in the Strathallan bird and those 

 received by Mr Malloch, there can be no doubt but what they 

 w r ere in a thoroughly starved condition, — possibly caught up in 

 a cyclone many degrees to the southward and westward of these 

 islands, and violently hurled along for days together at a con- 

 siderable height, without once touching the ocean, as may be 

 gathered from their having crossed the Grampian range at a 

 height of not less than from two to three thousand feet, and 

 perhaps considerably more, to the spots where they were found ; 

 and, what is worthy of remark, none of these birds had the 

 slightest appearance of violence, bruising, or extravasation on 

 them, all being in good feather; and, what is curious, the body 

 was quite limp and perfectly free from all the stiffness and rigidity 

 found in a recently shot bird, having to all appearance died 

 some time before reaching the earth. Had they been merely 

 blown off the ocean from the vicinity of St Kilda, or any part of 

 the Outer Hebrides, at the rate the wind was travelling on the 

 morning in question, a couple of hours at most would have been 

 sufficient to transport them to where they were found ; and in 

 that short time the stomach could not have been empty, nor, in 

 all probability, would such complete exhaustion have taken place 

 as to produce death, but, on the contrary, life and vigour would 

 still have been retained, and another half-hour carried them to 

 the German Ocean, where life might have been preserved. 



The velocity and suddenness of this particular gale was such 

 as doubtless to cause more destruction to bird-life than can 

 possibly ever be known ; and so graphically is it all described 

 by Professor Grant of Glasgow University, that I make no 



