38 AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER. 



of whose efforts to stop it were in Anin; it fairly nislied through tlie bushes, and reach- 

 in"- the edge of the cliff, darted outwnrd and alighted on the water some distance from 

 the shore. 



In all cases a bird was sitting on the egg, both sexes lieing representt'd, but singu- 

 hirly enough the males were in the iniijority; out ol' sixty-two liirds taken thirty-fight 

 being males. With the exceptions mentioned below, there was always only one bird and 

 only one egg: once I found two eggs in a single nesl, one beneath the bird which was a 

 male, and one just beyond liini, the first was warm, tlie second cold, while both were 

 fresh; once I found two bii-ds togethei', a- male and female, sitting side by side beneath a 

 small piece of rock, evidently mating, for in this instanse there was no egg. A few of 

 the eggs were fresh but the greater lunnber were in an advanced state of incidjation, in 

 fact, one hatclied the next day after we got back to Nassau, and I thus secured a line 

 specimen of the downy young. This is figured on page 35. 



The eggs when fresh, have the texture of shell seen in those of owls, and are decid- 

 edly salmon colored even after the contents are removed, giving the impression that 

 they are very fragile, but they are really as tough as those of the domestic pigeon. As 

 incubation advances the shells lose the delicate colors and become polished, when they 

 somewhat resemble those of some of the ducks. 



On the night of the day that we huided on Green Key we remained on the western 

 side of the island until nine o'clock, waiting for the Sliearwaters which were out on the 

 sea to come in, for like most of the members of this family, this species is nocturnal in 

 habit, only passing to and from their breeding ground at night. It is probable that the 

 new comers assume the dnties of incul)ation while the mates go out to sea to feed; hence 

 while they are sitting, each one remains without food for twenty-four hours. This hy- 

 pothesis was, in a measure, confirmed by an examinati(jn of the stomachs of the birds 

 which were nearly empty, containing notlnng but a little oily matter and some graniUar 

 ol)jects that resembled the eggs of some niiirine animal. On the night of which I have 

 spoken we did not see a single Shearwater while waiting. At this time, ]lowe^'er, the 

 moon was shining quite l)rightly; later, about twehe o'clock, when the moon had gone 

 down, nfter we had got back to our temporary camp, I heard tlie peculiar notes of the 

 birds c[uite frei[uently as they ciime flying over head, pasf^ing within a, few yards of us. 

 The notes are always hurriedly given, and judiiing by the sound, are alwa\s made 

 when the birds are moving rapidly through the air. The notes consist of four syllables, 

 "(pie-rc-a-var," accented on the secemd and fourth, l)ut mainly on the second, with the 

 last prolonged. This song is uttered in a mellow tone, occasional] \', however, a certain 

 liai-slniess would enter into it that in a. few cases preihjuiinaled, overcoming the mellow- 

 ness. The cries of Audubon's Sliearwater have bee]i described as l)eing monrnful. To 

 ])e sure the key in which they are given is low, lieing aliont tlie same as that in which 

 owls hoot, yet the song of this Shearwater never imnressed me as lieimi' mournfnl. I 

 have fre(iuently listened to their notes as my vessel lay at anchor oil' some lonely, outly- 

 ing key, always by night, and the mellow wildness of their cadence seems to me to l)e 

 in too perfect harmony with the imlsations of the surf upon the rocks, with the sighing 

 of the wind through the cordage, and M-ith the many delightfully mysterious sounds 



