330 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



and off the coasts of Nootka Sound in April ; and again 

 further north on the American coast, in May, in pairs ; from 

 which it is probable they also breed in the northern as well 

 as the southern hemisphere. In the sea between America 

 and Kamtschatka, the rocks of the intervening chain of 

 islands were quite covered by their flocks ; and Steller saw 

 multitudes feeding on a dead whale 200 versts from land. 

 Captain Cook met with them in vast numbers in Christmas 

 Harbor, Kerguelin's island, in December, where they were 

 so tame as to suffer themselves to be knocked on the head 

 with sticks on the beach. 



The Giant Petrels, though so infatuated, probably in the 

 breeding season, as to submit to death rather than abandon 

 their resorts and young, are at other times sufficiently active 

 and adventurous, being seen to assemble in great numbers 

 on the approach of a storm, sailing majestically with wide 

 expanded and scarcely moving wings close to the surface of 

 the water, scanning the agitated bosom of the deep in quest 

 of some fish or other object of prey raised towards the sur- 

 face by the foaming billows. They also feed when opportu- 

 nity offers, on the dead bodies of seals or birds, and are 

 themselves by sailors considered as good food. Pennant 

 thinks it probable that they migrate with the Albatross, into 

 the southern hemisphere to breed. 



The Giant Petrel is 40 inches in length ; the alar extent 7 feet. 

 The bill 4^ inches long ; tube of the nostrils 2^ inches, the 

 whole a fine dusky-yellow, resembling the color of box-wood- Top 

 of the head dusky ; the sides of it, fore part of the neck, breast, and 

 belly, white. Hind part of the neck, and upper part of the body, 

 pale brown, mottled with dusky-white. Scapulars, wing coverts, quills 

 and tail, plain dusky-brown ; the last 6 inches in length, and the 

 feathers darkest in the middle. Legs 4 inches long ; the toes 5, of 

 a greyish-yellow ; webs dusky ; the spur behind stout and pointed 

 but short; claws dusky. 



