THE STORM PETREL. 31 



portion of the Scilly Islands, but their principal nesting 

 resorts, as far as Great Britain is concerned, are in the rocky 

 isles of the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland ; the islands 

 on the western coast of Ireland are also frequented by 

 them. The eggs are laid either amongst the debris of the 

 cliffs on the sea-coast or in the holes and crevices of the rocks, 

 and are oval in shape and white in colour, and, according to 

 Mr. Yarrell, each female lays one only. Breeding com- 

 mences late in the season, in some cases not until the 

 middle or end of June. During the day the old birds 

 remain in their nesting places, and issue forth in search of 

 food as the evening approaches. At these times they may 

 be seen spread over the sea in large numbers. 



The food of the Stormy Petrel consists of small marine 

 insects, and the small Crustacea always found where large 

 masses of sea-weed are floating about; the birds will, how- 

 ever, follow ships for days in succession, and feed readily 

 on almost any small fragments that may be thrown over- 

 board. The writer, one evening in the month of May 

 some few years ago, accompanied a gentleman a mile or 

 two out into the channel immediately off Brighton, and 

 after throwing the oil from some liver on the waves, very 

 soon succeeded in attracting the attention of some Petrels, 

 who skimmed along the water, picking up the floating oil 

 with evident gusto. It is somewhat remarkable that in 

 rowing out on this excursion, although nothing like a 

 Petrel was to be seen anywhere, yet in the course of a 

 few hours more than a score (two of which were shot) 

 had put in an appearance. They subsequently disappeared 

 as mysteriously as they came. This incident would almost 

 seem to imply that these birds are really not so rare as 

 is frequently supposed ; but that, owing to their small size, 



