148 Allen's naturalist's library. 



approximately ; but it had to be determined precisely, and to 

 learn exactly where she was, the bird had to be stalked in the 

 dark noiselessly. No gleam could be permitted to escape from 

 the lantern. Loose stones and falls over rocks — to avoid them 

 it was sometimes necessary to dispense with slippers, and feel 

 one's way in stockings only, for should the Petrel be alarmed 

 once with the noise or the light, she would probably remain 

 silent a considerable time. Now and then it would happen 

 that upon the boulder beneath which she was sitting being 

 almost attained, the bird would cease calling. When this 

 occurred, and many minutes elapsed without her cry being 

 resumed, it was advisable to make a detour^ and approach the 

 rock from the opposite side, as her silence might be attributed 

 to her seeing a person advancing towards her, and she would 

 probably recommence her call so soon as he was out of sight. 

 If she did not, a small pebble thrown amongst the rocks would 

 usually elicit some sounds from her, as she would most likely 

 conclude that the noise was being made by her mate returning 

 to the nest. When the stone beneath which the bird was 

 domiciled was gained at last, redoubled care had to be exer- 

 cised. By stooping down and listening very attentively, her 

 position could be accurately ascertained. Then the lantern 

 was suddenly turned upon her before she had time to creep 

 out of sight, and her egg could be secured with the hand, or 

 with a spoon tied on to a stick. 



" Sometimes I worked without a lantern, and marked the 

 positions of the nest with piles of stones, so that they might be 

 revisited by day. Several eggs were obtained in February 

 from nests which had been thus marked early in the previous 

 month. The first egg taken by us was found by a retriever on 

 the 22nd of January, on an island in Swain's Bay. Captain 

 Fairfax sent me a nestling a day or two before we sailed for 

 the Cape. Two of the eggs were laid in unusual situations. 

 One of them was found by a man under a Pringlea plant ; 

 but this may have been an egg of Garrodia nereis. The other 

 was deposited just above the tide-mark in a cavity of a rock 

 rather open to the air and light. I had found the bird there 

 one night, had taken her up into my hand, and had gently 

 replaced her in the hollow, nearly a month before the egg was 

 laid." 



