1835.] THE "BREAK-BONES." 289 



which must inevitably have happened with very many 

 animals. 



These southern seas are frequented by several species 

 of Petrels : the largest kind, Procellaria g-igantea, or nelly 

 (quebrantahuesos, or break-bones, of the Spaniards), is 

 a common bird, both in the inland channels and on the 

 open sea. In its habits and manner of flight, there is 

 a very close resemblance with the albatross ; and as with 

 the albatross, a person may watch it for hours together 

 without seeing on what it feeds. The "break-bones " 

 is, however, a rapacious bird, for it was observed by 

 some of the officers at Port St. Antonio chasing a diver, 

 which tried to escape by diving and flying, but was 

 continually struck down, and at last killed by a blow on 

 its head. At Port St. Julian these great petrels were seen 

 killing and devouring young gulls. A second species 

 {Ptiffinus cinereus)y which is common to Europe, Cape 

 Horn, and the coast of Peru, is of a much smaller size 

 than the P. gigantea, but, like it, of a dirty black colour. 

 It generally frequents the inland sounds in very large 

 flocks : I do not think I ever saw so many birds of any 

 other sort together, as I once saw of these behind the island 

 of Chiloe. Hundreds of thousands flew in an irregular 

 line for several hours in one direction. When part of the 

 flock settled on the water the surface was blackened, and 

 a noise proceeded from them as of human beings talking 

 in the distance. 



There are several other species of petrels, but I will 

 only mention one other kind, the Pelacanoides Beranii\ 

 which offers an example of those extraordinary cases 

 of a bird evidently belonging to one well-marked family, 

 yet both in its habits and structure allied to a very distinct 

 tribe. This bird never leaves the quiet inland sounds. 

 When disturbed it dives to a distance, and on coming 

 to the surface, with the same movement takes flight. 

 After flying by the rapid movement of its short wings 

 for a space in a straignt line, it drops, as if struck dead, 

 and dives again. The form of its beak and nostrils, 

 length of foot, and even the colouring of its plumage, 

 show that this bird is a petrel: on the other hand, it 

 short wings and consequent little power of flight, it 

 form of body and shape of tail, the absence of a hind tot- 

 to its foot, its habit of diving, and its choice of situation, 

 xw.xkr it ;it first doubtful whether its relationship is not 



