THE STORM-PETREL 307 
Tslands the Shearwater is called a Crew, from the harsh note uttered 
by the bird when its burrow is invaded; in the north, a Lyrie or 
Scrabe. 
THE STORM-PETREL 
PROCELLARIA PELAGICA 
General plumage like the last ; tail even at the extremity ; legs moderate; 
membranes black. Length scarcely six inches. Eggs white. 
UNDER the name of ‘ Mother Carey’s Chickens’ the Petrels must 
be known to all readers of voyages. According to the belief popular 
in the forecastle, these birds are invisible during calm or bright 
weather ; but when the sky lowers, and a storm is impending, 
suddenly, no one knows whence, forth come these ill-omened heralds 
of the tempest, inspiring more terror than would be caused even 
by the hurricane which they are supposed to commence. In reality, 
the Petrels are scarcely birds of the day; they love to hide them- 
selves in holes and behind stones. It is not, therefore, surprising 
that when the sea is calm, and the sun bright, they lurk in their 
hiding-places, if near enough to land ; or, if on the open ocean, lie 
asleep on the surface of the water, unnoticed, because still and of 
small size. An overcast sky, however, awakes them as twilight 
would, and they leave their hiding-places, or rise from their watery 
bed, not because a storm is impending, but because the cloud which 
accompanies the storm brings them the desired gloom. When in 
motion they are more conspicuous than when at rest, and they 
follow the wake of a ship for the same reason that other sea-fowl 
do, for the sake of the offal thrown overboard. They will some- 
times accompany a ship for days, showing that they have untiring 
power of wing, and to all but the superstitious greatly relieving 
the monotony of the voyage. 
The Petrel builds its nest, a rude structure of weeds and rubbish, 
either in the hole of a cliff or under stones on the beach, and lays 
asingle egg. It rarely comes abroad by day, and if disturbed ejects 
from its mouth an oily matter, after the manner of the Fulmar. 
Towards evening it comes forth from its stronghold, and skims the 
sea in quest of food, which consists of floating animal matter of all 
kinds. Its name, Petrel, or Little Peter, is derived from its habit 
of occasionally skimming along so close to the surface of the sea as 
to dip its feet in the water, and present the appearance of walking ; 
but its ordinary flight is very like that of the Swallow. 
The Storm-Petrel breeds in the Orkney, Shetland, and Scilly 
Islands and a few on the Welsh coast, also in the Channel Islands, 
but a genuine ocean-bird quits the land as soon as its young are 
able to accompany it. It is frequently seen in the Atlantic and 
