FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL. 261 



Norfolk, Sussex, and Cumberland. From other ac- 

 counts, its nearest ordinary approach to our shores is 

 from about two hundred miles distance to the vici- 

 nity of the Azores. It was originally distinguished 

 and named by the Prince of Canino, and the Ameri- 

 can seas seem more properly its habitation. Audu- 

 bon says it breeds on the southern extremity of 

 Xova Scotia, on some small islands called Mud 

 Islands, where it forms burrows to the depth of two 

 or two and a half feet; he also found it abun- 

 dant towards Charlestown. We have never met 

 this species recent, but Mr. Yarrell describes a fine 

 specimen as seven and a half inches in length ; u the 

 bill black, the head, neck, back, wing-primaries and 

 tail-feathers, dark brownish black ; greater wing- 

 coverts and the secondaries dark rusty brown, lighter 

 in colour near the end, with the extreme edges and 

 tips white ; upper tail-coverts white ; chin, throat, 

 breast, and all the under parts, sooty black, except 

 the feathers near the vent on each side, which are 

 white, and some of the under tail-coverts are tipped 

 with white; legs long and slender, and with the 

 toes and their membranes black, but with an oblong 

 greyish yellow spot upon each web." 



FORK-TAILED STORM PETREL, THALASSIDROMA 

 LEACHII. Procellaria leachii^ Steph., Temm. 

 Procellaria bullockii, Flem., Selby. Petrel de 

 Leach, Temm. The Fork-tatted, Bullock's and 

 Leach's Petrel of modern authors. This Petrel 



