THE SHEARWATERS 397 



about as if anxious to gain admission. The floor of the particular 

 burrow, it may be remarked, was formed by " hard, black ice." No 

 wonder, then, that a plentiful supply of Adelise penguins' feathers 

 had been necessary to form the foundation of the nest. But in the 

 South Orkneys, where these birds were found breeding by the Scottish 

 Antarctic " Scotia " Expedition, the conditions being less severe, no 

 attempt at nest-building was made, though "both eggs and dead 

 young birds of previous seasons were numerous in the tenanted holes 

 containing fresh eggs." 1 



The downy young, in the case of all these species, are fed by both 

 parents, apparently on regurgitated oil, and they remain long in the 

 nest. According to Ussher, a nestling of the storm-petrel, marked 

 in July, was not fledged till mid-October. Since, he remarks, some 

 adults may be commonly seen on the wing during the day, the task 

 of brooding probably falls mainly on the females. This may be so, but 

 evidently careful revision of existing records as to the habits of these 

 birds during the breeding season is badly needed. 



That these birds return year after year to the same burrow seems 

 to be shown by the case of the storm-petrel which had lost its foot, 

 and was thus readily distinguishable. This bird returned annually to 

 the same nursery. 



THE SHEARWATERS 



Of the three species of Shearwaters which at one season or 

 another may confidently be looked for in our waters, one only breeds 

 with us, and this, the Manx-shearwater, has been by no means closely 

 studied. Indeed, until much more careful observation of its habits 

 has been made, we shall have to wait for a really satisfactory 

 interpretation of some of the most salient characteristics of these 

 interesting birds. 



1 Una, 1906, p. 167. 



VOL. iv. SE 



