192 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



PETREL, LEACH'S FORK-TAILED. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about 

 seven and a quarter inches. Bill of medium length, 

 nearly straight, and black. Irides dark brown. 

 Head, neck, and back brownish-black, the two 

 former rather lighter in shade than the latter. 

 Wing-coverts reddish-brown, tinged with grey on 

 the edges ; quills black. Upper tail-coverts white ; 

 tail-quills black and slightly forked ; breast, belly, 

 vent, and under tail-coverts, in the middle, black. 

 A white streak starts from behind each thigh and 

 runs down the sides of the vent and under tail- 

 coverts. Legs, toes, webs, and claws black. 



The female is like the male. 



Situation and Locality. In burrows made in 

 soft peat earth, under rocks, holes, fissures, and 

 clefts in rocks, and in holes of walls, close to the 

 sea; on rocky islands, such as the St. Kilda group, 

 Hebrides, and some of those off the Irish Coast. 



Materials. Dry grass and bits of moss, some- 

 times nothing whatever. 



Egg. One ; white, chalky, and speckled round 

 the larger end with small rust-coloured and greyish- 

 brown spots. Size about 1*3 by -96 in. 



Time. June. 



Remarks. Eesident, but wandering. Notes : 

 pewr-ivit, pewr-wit, said to be uttered by the birds 

 as they sit on their nests, also both night and 

 day. Local and other names : Leach's Petrel, 

 Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, Fork-tailed Petrel. Gre- 

 garious, and a very close sitter. 



