163 



out gloss, and generally with a belt of minute 

 dark red spots at the large end. The Storm Petrel 

 disappears from all its breeding places after the 

 young are reared, and seems to reside on the open 

 sea during winter. It has a buoyant and gliding 

 flight, floats lightly on the water, and swims with 

 ease, letting down its feet occasionally when 

 skimming over the waves. It has even been 

 imagined; like others of this genus, to walk on the 

 sea, whence its name Petrel or Little Peter. 



PETKEL, WILSON'S. 



THALASSIDEOMA WILSONI, Temm. 



Wilson's Petrel, named by the Prince of Canino 

 in honour of the celebrated Scoto- American Orni- 

 thologist, is said to breed on various parts of the 

 coasts of North America, and to occur plentifully 

 on the Atlantic ocean. It is admitted in the Bri- 

 tish list as an occasional visitant. It breeds on 

 some small islands, situated off the southern extre- 

 mity of }s[ova Scotia, which are formed of sand and 

 light earth, scantily covered with grass, where 

 it forms burrows to the depth of about two feet, 

 in the bottom of which, in a nest, made of a few 

 bits of dried grass, scarcely deserving the name, it 

 lays a single white egg. The egg, measuring an 

 inch and a half in length, is almost equally round 



at both ends. 



M 2 



