246 ZOOLOGY. 



During a calm, a vast number of these birds alight 

 on the surface of the sea, and swim round a ship in 

 search of offal; or should the vessel be lying-to in a 

 gale, they are equally familiar, and ride composedly 

 over the most gigantic billows. At these times they 

 will readily take a hook, baited with pork ; and having 

 been once thus captured does not deter them from taking 

 the bait a second time, or even oftener, if opportu- 

 nities are afforded them. Many may also be taken by 

 allowing a slender line to tow astern of the ship : they 

 usually get their wings entangled in the string, as 

 they fly carelessly across the wake of the vessel ; and 

 it is remarkable, that when thus shackled they make but 

 few efforts to liberate themselves, and may be hauled 

 on board with scarce a struggle. Like most other 

 oceanic birds, they are unable to rise from a level 

 surface, as the deck of a ship, owing to the shortness 

 of their legs, as compared with the extreme length of 

 their wings. It might be supposed that the same cause 

 would impede their rising from the plane surface of a 

 calm sea ; but here they have the advantages of space 

 and an elastic tread, and by running on the surface of 

 the water for some distance, aided by a flapping motion 

 of the wings, they at length gain sufficient way and 

 elevation to be able to mount in the air. 



The ordinary food of this species is small fish, sepias, 

 and pelagic Crustacea ; but they do not refuse any ani- 

 mal offal floating on the sea. They give a decided pre- 

 ference to fat, and the carcase of a whale often affords 

 them a sumptuous feast. When captured, they inva- 

 riably disgorge the food they have recently swallowed, 

 and often a large quantity of oil. It has been said that 

 this fluid is secreted by the petrel ; but I believe that 

 it is never ejected from the mouth of the bird unless 



