i\2 Allen's naturalist's library. 



owing to the strong swell. As we approached the shore one 

 of the St. Kilda men leapt out of the boat with a rope and 

 assisted the rest to land. After taking off our boots we 

 climbed up the cliffs, and over the grassy slopes to the summit, 

 where Donald told me we should find the birds we wanted. 

 The place where the Petrels breed is on that portion of the 

 island nearest to St. Kilda and at the summit. We had not 

 been there long before Donald, who had been searching the 

 numerous holes, drew forth a struggling Petrel from its nest, 

 and I was delighted to find that it was the Fork-tailed species. 

 Handing me the bird, he quickly drew forth the single w^hite 

 egg, and I then waited until he found another nest within a 

 yard or so of the first. Inserting my arm to the full extremity 

 I felt the little bird fluttering over its egg and drew it out. 

 This nest also contained a single egg ; and as I was catching 

 the bird it uttered a few squeaking notes ; excepting this, no 

 other sound was heard during our stay. When held in the 

 hand, it emits a small quantity of oil, precisely similar to that 

 vomited by the Fulmar. Most of this oil comes from the 

 mouth, but occasionally a little is squirted from the nostrils. 

 Whilst I was packing the eggs Donald found another nest, 

 which I took ; and in less than halfan-hour I had taken eleven 

 nests of this rare little bird. In two of the holes we found a 

 bird, but no egg; they had probaby gone into the hole to pass 

 the day ; and in one hole there was an egg, but no bird. We 

 never found more than one bird on the nest, and only a single 

 egg is laid. Some nests are larger than others, but in one hole 

 the egg was laid on the bare ground. The holes vary con- 

 siderably in depth (from two to four or five feet), and are 

 burrowed in a precisely similar manner to those of the Puffin. 

 The holes are made in the soft peaty soil, and it is very easy to 

 unearth the nest. Sometimes the hole has two entrances, and 

 then it is necessary to stop one end up to prevent the bird 

 from escaping. These holes, which are inhabited by Petrels, 

 usually have a little dry grass at the entrance. Many nests are 

 placed together, an underground colony in fact, and we found 

 half a dozen nests within a radius of eight or nine yards. One 

 of the birds which we caught, I let go again to w^atch its flight. 

 It flew about for a few^ moments in a very erratic manner, as 

 if dazed by the light, and then darted up and down, and flev/ 



