PETREL AND PHALAROPE 77 



Chief Features. — A very much larger species than either of its 

 relatives. It much resembles the Gulls in flight, and is the 

 best flier of the three species nesting in the British Isles. 



Plumage. — Bill yellow; legs and feet grey; mantle and tail the 

 same; dusky quills; white on head, neck, and under parts. 

 Length. — Nineteen inches. 



PETREL, STORMY (Procellaria pelagica) 



Local Names. — Allamotti, Assilag, Common Storm Petrel, Gourder, 

 Horn Finch, Little Peter, Little Petrel, Mitty, Mother Carey's 

 Chicken, Spency, Storm Finch, Witch. 



Haunt. — The sea and its environs. 



Nesting Period. — June to September. 



Site of Nest. — In the burrow of a rabbit, under large stones, in holes 

 of walls and cliffs. 



Materials Used. — Only a few blades of grass and stalks. 



Eggs. — One. White, sparingly marked with small brown spots; 



I oval in shape. 



Food.— Small fish, Crustacea, mollusca, offal, etc. 



Voice. — Hett describes the call as "kekerek-ee; " when nesting, a 

 plaintive " weet; " when on the nest, a warbling " chatter." 



Chief Features. — One of the smallest web-footed birds in the world, 

 being no longer than a Sparrow. Excepting when it comes to 

 land to breed, this, like its congeners, is entirely oceanic in its 

 movements. It braves the roughest seas, and is met with many 

 miles from land. The dark plumage and white tail-coverts at 

 once identify it. It has long been made famous as Mother 

 Carey's Chicken. 



Plumage. — For the most part the plumage is black, with the ex- 

 ception of the base of tail-coverts and edges of wing-coverts, 

 which are white; black bill and feet. Length. — Six inches. 



PHALAROPE, RED-NECKED (Phalaropus hyperboreus) 



Local Names. — Brown Phalarope, Coot-Foot, Half Nebb, Red- 



Necked Coot-Foot, Red-Necked Lobe-Foot, Red Phalarope, 



Red-Throated Phalarope, Scallop-Toe. 

 Haunt. — Islands in Scotland and the West of Ireland. 

 Nesting Period. — June. 



Site of Nest. — A swampy and grassy situation, among a tuft of herbage. 

 Materials Used. — A little dry grass. 

 Eggs. — Four. Pale buff or olive, thickly blotched, spotted, and 



speckled with varying shades of dark brown, and a few spots 



of light grey. 



