ioo OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



Islands, Scilly Isles, Lundy Island ; also in Scotland and 

 its islands, and in Ireland. 



Plumage. Upper parts greyish black. Rump and 

 upper tail-coverts white and conspicuous ; greater wing- 

 coverts edged with white. Tail tipped with black ; 

 under parts sooty black. Bill, legs, and feet black. 

 Length 6 in. Female similar. Young browner. Nestling 

 covered with greyish black down. 



Language. Like " ti-tee-ik," several times repeated. 



Habits. Our smallest web-footed bird, being little 

 larger than a Sparrow. When seen flying over the sea 

 it reminds one in its flight and white rump of the House 

 Martin. It is an oceanic wanderer, never coming to 

 land of its own free will, except to breed, where it is 

 absolutely helpless, and has to use its wings and hooked 

 beak to help itself along. It is crepuscular in habits. 

 When caught, it ejects, through the tubular passage to 

 its nostrils, an offensive oily fluid with which it feeds 

 its young one. When flying it lets its legs dangle, and 

 gives the effect as of paddling. W'hen near the nest a 

 musky odour may always be detected. 



Food. Fish, Crustacea, mollusca, and various floating 

 fatty and oily matters. 



Nest. June. One brood. 



Site. In burrows in soft peaty soil ; in fissures in 

 rocks, and under rocks. 



Materials. If any, a few dead grasses and stalks. 



Eggs. One. Large for the bird's size, being about 

 one inch long ; white, sometimes faintly freckled with 

 reddish brown. It soon becomes stained to a creamy 

 colour. The shell is of rough texture. 



LEACH'S FORK-TAILED PETREL 



(Oceanodroma leucorrhcea] . 



Much rarer than the last, but has been found breeding 

 on St. Kilda, the outer Hebrides, and North Rona. 



