STORM PETREL. 677 



The island of Soa is the principal breeding-place, where, 

 as well as in several spots among the others of the group, 

 it nestles among debris, and in crevices of the rocks. The 

 bird sits very close upon the nest, from which it will allow 

 itself to be taken by the hand, vomiting, on being handled, 

 a quantity of pure oil, which is carefully preserved by the 

 fowlers, and the bird allowed to escape. It is only at sun- 

 set and about daybreak that I have observed the Stormy 

 Petrel at sea, except during gloomy weather, save once, while 

 crossing the Minch, being then not far from one of their 

 breeding-places, at Dunvegan Head, in the Isle of Skye." 

 Mr. S earth, when in Orkney, caught one on her nest 

 in a small hole, and preserved her alive for three months 

 in a cage, feeding her by smearing her breast with oil, 

 which she sucked from the feathers, drawing each feather 

 singly between her mandibles. Mr. Hewitson thus notices 

 the habits of this species at Foula, Papa, and Oxna : 

 " On the 31st of May, these birds had not arrived on the 

 breeding-ground, or, to use the phrase of the fishermen, 

 had not yet come up from the sea. Some eggs were de- 

 posited as late as the 30th of June. Each female lays but 

 one, which is oval and white, measuring one inch one line 

 in length, by ten lines in breadth. During the day the 

 old birds remain within their holes, and, when most other 

 birds are gone to rest, issue forth in great numbers, spread- 

 ing themselves far over the surface of the sea ; the fisher- 

 men then meet with them very numerously, and, though 

 they had not previously seen one, are sure to be surrounded 

 by them upon throwing pieces of fish overboard." Mr. 

 Dunn found these birds plentiful on the small islands near 

 St. Margaret's Hope, in Orkney, and among the small 

 islands lying off Scalloway, on the west side of the main- 

 land in Shetland ; and observes that, though he had watched 

 them for hours, he had never seen one dive. 



