432 NATATORES. 



the ocean, diving or swimming over the surface of the heavy 

 rolling waves of the most tempestuous sea, quite at ease and in 

 security. Long before seamen can discover any appearance of 

 a storm, these birds, as if foreseeing and fearing its approach, 

 flock together in large numbers, making a clamorous, piercing 

 cry, thus warning the mariner of his danger. So oily is the 

 Stormy Petrel said to be in its texture, that the inhabitants of the 

 Faroe islands draw a wick through its body and use it as a lamp. 

 A most singular peculiarity of this bird is its faculty of standing 

 and even running on the surface of the water, which it does 

 with the greatest facility. According to BufFon, it is from this 

 practice that these birds are called Petrels, the name being de 

 rived from the Apostle Peter, who, as Sacred Scripture informs 

 us, walked upon the water. This species is not observed to 

 breed on the American coast, though it is not uncommon on the 

 Banks of Newfoundland. 



WILSON S PETREL, or MOTHER CAREY S CHICKEN, T. Wilsonii, 

 is a little over seven inches in length ; in the color of its plu 

 mage of a dark grayish brown, with some portions of white. 

 It is less lively than the common Stormy Petrel. 



The FORK-TAILED PETREL, T. Lcachii, is eight inches in 

 length ; of similar plumage with Wilson s Petrel, but less active 

 and does not breed so extensively on the American coast. 



The genus Diomedea, (a proper name.) comprises, among 

 other species, the ALBATROSS OF CHINA, D. fidiginosa, (Lat. 

 sooty ;) the YELLOW AND BLACK-BEAKKD ALBATROSS, D. chlo- 

 rorhyncos, (Gr. yellow-beaked;) (this has been taken on the Pa 

 cific not far from Columbia river;) and the COMMON ALBATROSS, 

 D. exidans, (Lat. wandering.) The beak in these birds is very 

 strong, hard, long, and straight nearly to the end, where it sud 

 denly curves. The upper mandible appears to be composed of 

 many articulated pieces, furrowed on the sides and crooked at 

 the point ; the lower mandible is smooth and cut short ; the 

 wings are very long and narrow with the primary quill short and 

 the secondaries long; the feet short; the three toes long and 

 completely webbed. 



Albatross is a word said to be corrupted &quot; from the Portuguese 

 Alcatraz, which was applied by the early navigators of that na 

 tion to cormorants and other large sea-birds.&quot; 



The COMMON ALBATROSS, D. exulans, (Lat. wandering,) is the 

 largest sea-bird known. The top of the head is a muddy gray, 

 but the rest of the plumage is white, except a few of the wing- 

 feathers, and several transverse black bands on the back. The 

 range of these birds is very extensive. They are not confined 



