CHAPTER XVI 



THE NESTING OF THE STORM PETREL 



THERE is probably no sea bird having its home on or 

 around the British Isles whose Hfe and habits are so 

 wrapped in mystery as those of this charming and 

 diminutive petrel. In length smaller than a swallow — the 

 latter bird measures seven and a half inches, whereas the 

 storm petrel is only six and a half inches — it closely resembles 

 this bird in the grace and buoyancy of its flight. Compared 

 with the house martin, the length of the two birds is exactly 

 the same, and they superficially resemble each other in their 

 dark bodies and the strikingly contrasting white feathers on 

 the rump. 



The storm petrel {Hydrobates pelagicus) is essentially a 

 bird of the ocean, and is at sea throughout the year excepting 

 when engaged in rearing its young. It is easily the latest sea 

 bird to nest, and it is, perhaps, due to this fact that com- 

 paratively little is known of its nesting habits. During a 

 recent summer a companion and I spent a good part of the 

 nesting season camping on an uninhabited island of the 

 Hebrides, where many of these little petrels had their summer 

 home. 



The last days of June were wild and stormy, with great 

 cold for the time of the year, and it was not until the morning 

 of July 2 that we were able to sail out to the island where we 

 hoped to find the birds. The owner of the island — ^a keen 

 naturalist — readily placed his boat at our disposal and accom- 

 panied us. A more beautiful summer day it would be difficult 

 to imagine. Hardly a breath of wind ruffled the waters of the 

 Atlantic and the sun shone brilliantly, lighting up hill and 



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