262 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



the wild waves, fearless of every danger, flying out in vast curves, 

 watching at the same time intently for their finny prey. Like the 

 Petrels, these Shearwaters are often seen to trip upon the water with 

 extended feet and open wings ; they likewise dive for small fish, and 

 find an advantage in the storm, whose pellucid mountain waves bring 

 to view the shiny prey to more advantage ; the birds are therefore 

 often seen most active at such times." 



In a little island, an outlier of St. Thomas, Moseley 

 found a species of this genus (Puffinus) " nesting in 

 holes amongst the grass, laying a single, large white 

 egg. The birds allowed themselves to be caught in 

 the nest with the hand." 



The Petrels, that we know so well, also, as Mother 

 Carey's Chickens, are many in species, but do not 

 differ materially in habits. Of such as come within 

 the limits of North American waters, Ridgway men- 

 tions about a dozen, and a good many others, some of 

 which may possibly get occasionally out of bounds ; 

 for these birds have, as Dr. Moseley has stated, " re- 

 duced the science of flight to the condition of a fine 

 art." Storms occasionally drive them inland, but 

 they never come voluntarily beyond the limits of 

 salt water. It frequently happens that a single petrel 

 will appear close astern of an outward-bound vessel 

 and remain day after day at about the same distance 

 from the steamer, and when the boat turns into port 

 the petrel will suddenly disappear. I have not seen 

 them follow the vessel far beyond the breakwater 

 when it turned into Delaware Bay. Their flight- 

 power is something wonderful. 



Dr. Moseley says of the petrels, 



" They were our constant companions in the Southern Ocean, fol- 

 lowing the ship day after day, dropping behind at night to roost on 



