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breed in communities, like the Bank Swallow, making their nests 

 in the holes and cavities of rocks above the sea, returning to feed 

 their young only during the night, with the superabundant oily 

 food from their stomachs." — Wilson. 



Mr. Audubon also informs us that it breeds in vast numbers 

 from Maine to Baffin's Bay. From the nature of its food, which is 

 small fish and barnacles, its flesh is rank and oily. "Although un- 

 palatable, it is said that the natives of Ferro Islands convert them in- 

 to domestic use. by drawing a wick lengthwise through their bodies; 

 they make their oily carcases serve the purpose of candles." The 

 eggs of this species are said to be three — the color white. 



The Petrel is never seen inland, except when driven in, as it oc- 

 casionally happens, by severe storms. Shortly after the late gale, 

 in August, 1842, I received the follovving from Mr. S. F. Baird, re- 

 siding at Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania: — 



"You have probably seen an account in the papers of the Petrels 

 '.vhich had been driven inland by the storm of August. They were 

 nearly all the Fork-tailed Petrel, Thalassidrcma Leachii. I saw 

 about half a dozen specimens killed near Washington. There were 

 killed in Petersburgh and Bewfort, Va. and m.any other places. 



S. F. Baird." 



THALASSIDROMA LEACHII— TEM. 

 FORK-TAILED PETREL. 



Thalassidroma Leachii, Bouap. 



Fork-tailed Stormy Tetrel, Thalassidroma Leachii, Nuttall. 



Fork-tailed Petrel, Thalassidrcma Leachii, Audubon. 



Specific Character — Bill and feet black ; from the frontlet feathers 

 to the point five-eighths of an inch, length of tarsi seven-eighths ; 

 tail forked ; plumage dark grayish-brown ; wings and tail feathers 

 brownish-black ; smaller wing coverts and inner secondaries light 

 graj'ish-brown ; rump and sides of the abdomen, and upper tail co- 

 verts white. Length eight inches and three quarters, wing six. 



This, like the preceding, whose general habits it resembles, is of 

 rare occurrence on the shores of Long Island. " It breeds in the 

 holes and cavities of rocks overhanging the sea. Said to lay but a 

 single egg, which is white, and nearly round." 



