BIRDS OF THE SEA 453 



beneath the boulders which strew the beach. A 

 single white egg is laid, and when the birds are 

 sitting they frequently utter a twittering sound 

 which leads to the discovery of their hiding- 

 place. 



The smallest of British web-footed birds, the 

 Storm Petrel is the most intrepid of ocean wan- 

 derers. Undeterred by storm and tempest, it 

 follows the curve of the great rollers, when thou- 

 sands of miles from land, often standing with 

 outspread wings upon the water to seize its minute 

 prey. As it progresses it appears to run over the 

 waves rather than to fly, and from this habit its 

 name Petrel is said to be derived in refeience to 

 the walking on the water of the Apostle Peter. 

 Although Petrels are rarely killed by striking 

 against the lanterns of lighthouses, a fate which 

 overtakes so many birds when crossing the sea at 

 night, they none the less seem to be strongly 

 attracted by light, and frequently board the passing 

 ships in mid-Atlantic, when they appear to become 

 dazed and will permit themselves to be taken by 

 hand. 



Of the four other species of British Petrel, the 

 Fulmar nests abundantly in certain of the more 

 remote islands of the north, especially in St. Kilda, 

 but in England it occurs only as a winter visitor; 

 the Capped, Bulwer's and Forked-tailed Petrels are 

 birds of one or two occurrences only. 



Allied to the Petrels are the Shearwaters, a group 

 consisting of four species, the Manx, Great, Sooty 

 and Dusky. They also are birds of vast oceanic 

 range. The Manx Shearwater appears commonly 



