NATATORES. 447 



be said to be universally diffused between the 30th and 55th 

 degrees of south latitude. I first observed it in lat. 38° 41' S., 

 long. 36° 30' W., on the IGth of August 1838; during the 

 next five days not more than a single specimen was seen at 

 one time; on the 21st it was very numerous, and the day 

 being nearly calm, I had a boat lowered, and succeeded in 

 killing several in lat. 39° 23' S., long. 54° W. Its powers of 

 flight are very great, and in its passage over the ocean it often 

 mounts higher in the air than most other members of the 

 group, and descends again with the utmost eagerness to seize 

 any fat substance thrown overboard. Its actions and flight 

 diff'er slightly from those of the other Petrels, and more 

 closely resemble those of the Albatroses. 



I subsequently observed this bird in lat. 41° 12' S., long. 

 115° W., and obtained specimens on my passage from Hobart 

 Town to Sydney. 



On my voyage homeward it appeared in considerable 

 numbers during some strong heavy gales which occurred on 

 the 6th of May 1840 in lat. 40° S., long. 154° W., and it 

 was very abundant in the South Atlantic on the 12th of June 

 in lat. 41° S., long. 34^° W. 



" This bird," says Capt. Hutton, " combines the appearance 

 of a Procellaria with some of the habits of a Puffinus. Its 

 feathers fit very close, and have a glossy look. Like all other 

 Petrels, it flies with its legs stretched out straight behind, and 

 as they are rather long, they make the tail appear forked. Its 

 cry is something like the bleating of a lamb. It is very com- 

 mon at sea from May to August, but retires to Kerguelen's 

 Land and other places in September or October to breed. 

 Each pair burrows horizontally into wet peaty earth from two 

 to eighteen feet. At the end of the hole they form a large 

 chamber, and construct in the centre of it a nest similar, 

 except in size, to that of the Albatros {D. exulans), in the 

 hollowed top of which the female lays one white egg. They 

 seldom leave their burrows in the daytime, and when one 



