288 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
storms, and so forth, simply because they more frequently see them 
during bad weather. ‘Their dark p!'umage tends to confirm the sailor 
in his superstition. 
When the vessels sent to the whale fishery have passed the 
Shetland Islands, and entered the northern seas, which are almost 
always stormy, the Petrels are seen flying about amidst the eddies of 
foam which are formed by the wake of the ship. They keep in 
attendance on vessels until something is thrown overboard, for they 
are extremely voracious, and especially fond of fat. When whalers 
begin to cut up a whale, the Petrels flock around, to the number of 
several thousands. They are not afraid to approach so close that 
they may be knocked down or killed with a blow from a boat-hook. 
Their plumage is so close that shot fired at them, except at close 
range, will not penetrate.* 
Petrels walk on land with much difficulty. When fatigued, they 
sleep on the water with their heads placed under their wings, allowing 
themselves to be borne about at the mercy of the wind. 
The most remarkable species are—the Stormy Petrel (Procellaria 
pe‘agica), well known upon the coasts of Europe; the Capped Petrel 
(P. hesitata), marked with a spot of white on the head ; Wilson’s 
Petrel (P. Wilsonii), without a forked tail, but much resembling the 
Forked-tailed Petrel (P. Zeachiz), which has a white spot at the root 
of the tail; and the Fulmar Petrel (?. g/acialis, Fig. 107), which is 
principally found in the Arctic regions, but is numerous on parts of 
the north coast of Scotland. 
Under the name of Shear-waters (Pwufinius) those species of 
Petrels are included which have bills as long, and sometimes longer, 
than their heads, and their nostrils in two distinct tubes. Among 
these are the Grey Shear-water (Piujffinius cinereus), which is very 
common in the Mediterranean, and builds its nest in Corsica; the 
English Shear-water (Pufinius anglorum), which inhabits the northern 
regions of our hemisphere ; the Brown Shear-water (P. @guznoctialis) 
which inhabits the Southern Ocean, and is frequently met with at 
the Cape. 
The Albatrosst is the largest and most bulky of all the Birds 
which fly over the surface of the sea. It belongs principally to the 
* The author is evidently unacquainted with modern fire-arms. We, for ex- 
periment, last season tried a lock-fast Dougall central-fire gun upon petrels, and 
found that all that was required to kill them, when within fifty yards, or even 
more, was to hold it straight. —Ep. 
+ From the Portuguese word A/catraz, applied by the early navigators of that 
nation to cormorants and large sea-birds.—Ep. 
