STORM PETEEL. 3?3 



are recorded, and probably not an autumn passes without 

 some being- either killed or seen, as happened early in 

 December of the present year, 1889. 



Mr. Booth, in his " Rough Notes," gives an interest- 

 ing account of the appearance of this bird off the Norfolk 

 coast, in November, 1872. He says he passed the 

 greater part of that month at Yarmouth. On the 11th 

 a terrible gale began to blow, with squalls of rain, from 

 the north-north-east ; large bodies of fowl were flying 

 continually all day towards the north, and immense 

 flocks of dunlins passing in rapid succession. On the 

 12th the gale was from the east-north-east; and a few 

 fowl still flying north, but the number of dunlins not to 

 be compared with those observed the previous day. On 

 the 13th, it was still blowing with fearful gusts from 

 the east. " Three or four stormy petrels remained feed- 

 ing just off the harbour-mouth, and occasionally flying 

 a short distance between the piers, where they were 

 enabled to find shelter from the cutting blasts." On 

 the 14tli, blowing still harder from the east-north-east, 

 " A dozen or so of stormy petrels were flitting here and 

 there between the piers, near the harbour-mouth, and a 

 few made their way up the river as far as the wharfs 

 where the vessels and fishing-boats were moored." On 

 the 15th " there was a slight lull in the morning, and all 

 the common species of gulls were seen in limidreds just off 

 the harbour-mouth during the whole of the day, several 

 stormy petrels flying with them. At day-break, on the 

 16th, the wind had freshened, and a gale was blowing- 

 hard from the east-south-east. The unfortunate little 

 petrels proved to be much exhausted by the long 

 continuation of the storms, and were even driven right up 

 the harbour, several being seen on Breydon mud flats. Off 

 the denes to the north of the harbour they were hovering 

 in dozens over the rolling breakers, and were frequently 

 carried by the irresistible squalls of wind right across 

 the carriage-drive. The surface of the North Sea on 

 Monday morning, the 18th, was nearly as smooth as 

 glass, the wind having- completely dropped ; and, leaving 

 the harbour early in the ' Reliance,' we steamed out 

 through the roads and round the sands. Immense 

 numbers of stormy petrels were resting on the water. 



