324 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



mounting with the breaking surge which threatens to burst 

 over their heads, sweeping through the hollow waves as in a 

 sheltered valley, and again mounting with the rising billow, 

 it trips and jerks sportively and securely on the surface of 

 the roughest sea, defying the horrors of the storm, and like 

 some magic being seems to take delight in braving over- 

 whelminoc dangers. At other times we see these aerial 

 mariners playfully coursing from side to side in the wake of 

 the ship, making excursions far and wide on every side, 

 now in advance, then far behind, returning again to the 

 vessel, as if she were stationary, though moving at the most 

 rapid rate. A little after dark they generally cease their 

 arduous course, and take their interrupted rest upon the 

 water, arriving in the wake of the vessel they had left, as I 

 have observed, by about 9 or 10 o'clock of the following 

 morning. In this way we were followed by the same flock 

 of birds to the soundings of the Azores, and until we came 

 in sight of the Isle of Flores. 



According to Buifon the Petrel acquires its name from the 

 apostle Peter, who is also said to have walked upon the water. 

 At times we hear from these otherwise silent birds by day, a 

 low weet, loeet, and in their craving anxiety, apparently to 

 obtain something from us, they utter a low twittering 'pe-up, 

 or chirp. In the night, when disturbed by the passage of 

 the vessel, they rise in a low, vague and hurried flight from 

 the water, and utter a singular guttural chattering, like 

 huh huh h'h, h'h, or something similar, ending usually in a 

 sort of low twitter like that of a Swallow. 



These Petrels are said to breed in great numbers on the 

 rocky shores of the Bahama and the Bermuda islands, and 

 along some parts of the coast of East Florida, and Cuba. 

 Mr. Audubon informs me that they also breed in large 

 flocks on the mud and sand islands off Cape Sable, in 

 Nova Scotia, burrowing downwards from the surface to the 



