STORM-PETRELS 395 



Ireland}, in the case of Leach's forktailed-petrel, mention " a number 

 of round, semi-transparent objects," besides oily matter. These semi- 

 transparent objects were almost certainly the lenses of the eyes of 

 cuttle-fish. I have taken them in large numbers from the stomach of 

 the porpoise. The oily matter was probably also derived from the 

 same source. 



The practice of vomiting oil, and of ejecting it to a considerable 

 distance, is well known in the case of the storm-petrel, but it appears 

 to be common to all the Petrels, which seem, indeed, to be saturated 

 therewith. The natives of St. Kilda, and of the Blasket Islands off 

 the coast of Kerry, formerly depended on the storm and Leach's 

 forktailed-petrels for their light for the winter. 



Of the " courting" habits of the storm-petrels we have no records. 

 But the two species which breed with us lay the eggs either in deserted 

 burrows or in crevices and crannies in cliffs, or under boulders, partly, 

 apparently, for the sake of evading the light when incubating, wherein 

 they differ conspicuously from, say, the fulmar. Leach's-petrel seems 

 to prolong the annual shore-life as long as possible, since, in St. Kilda, 

 it is one of the earliest to take up its breeding quarters in spring, and 

 one of the last to leave in the autumn. Both sexes incubate, and this 

 is true of both species breeding with us. When on the nest the sitting 

 bird most tenaciously guards its egg, commonly permitting itself to 

 be taken in the hand rather than try and escape. Rude disturbances 

 of this kind, however, are greatly resented, and an attempt is always 

 made to discourage inquisitive ornithologists by a squirt of evil-smelling 

 oil and semi-digested food. 



By common consent these two small petrels, like many of their 

 larger relatives, during the breeding season are crepuscular in habits, 

 spending the day in incubation or brooding young, and emerging at 

 night to feed. In support of this view, let me cite one or two modern 

 writers whose claim to speak with authority none will care to question. 

 Thus, then, Messrs. Ussher and "Warren tell us (Birds of Ireland, 

 p. 384) that the stormy-petrel thus behaves, and they quote Mr. R. 



