330 THE STORM PETREL. 



ensued. The short bark of the eagle was clearly discerna- 

 ble above the scarcely distinguishable cry of the skuas, who 

 never ventured to attack their enemy in front, but taking a 

 short circle around him, one made a desperate sweep or 

 stoop, and striking the eagle on the back, darted up again 

 almost perpendicularly. This cowardly attack was imitated 

 by each of the other gulls, and continued some time, the 

 eagle wheeling and turning as well as his ponderous wings 

 would allow, and evidently harassed unmercifully, until I 

 lost sight of the combatants among the rocks." 



The Petrels are among the most interesting of marine birds. 

 The name is said to be derived from the circumstance that 

 besides the faculty of swimming, they possess that of sup- 

 porting themselves on the water by striking very rapidly 

 with their feet, which has caused them to be compared 

 to St. Peter walking upon the water. These birds are 

 to be seen in all seas of the globe from one pole to the other, 

 and are the inseparable companions of mariners during 

 their long navigations, following the vessels in great flocks 

 to pick up any garbage thrown into the water. Their flight 

 is almost always performed by hovering, and without pre- 

 senting apparent vibrations. They drop promptly on their 

 prey, which seems to consist chiefly of the blubber or fat 

 of whales, mollusca, marine worms, and the spawn of fish. 

 Neither the habits of the petrels, nor the structure of the bill 

 adapt thom for fishing. They have the faculty of spouting 

 oil, as a means of defense, in the face of any one who may 

 attempt to take them. Persons not aware of this fact have 

 lost their lives by falling into the sea or down precipices. 



The Storm-Petrel, the bird of ill omen among mariners, 

 as has been already mentioned in another chapter, is about 

 the size of a house-swallow, in length six inches, and the 

 extent of the wings thirteen inches. The whole body is 

 black except near the tail, some feathers of which are white. 

 The ancients believed that the petrel hatched its eggs be- 



