1835.] ORNITHOLOGY. 277 



rarely. When finding, as in this case, animals which seem to play 

 so insignificant a part in the great scheme of nature, one is apt to 

 wonder why they were created. But it should always be recollected, 

 that in some other country perhaps they are essential members of 

 society, or at some former period may have been so. If America 

 south of 37 were sunk beneath the waters of the ocean, these two 

 birds might continue to exist in central Chile for a long period, but 

 it is very improbable that their numbers would increase. We 

 should then see a case which must inevitably have happened with 

 very many animals. 



These southern seas are frequented by several species of Petrels: 

 the largest kind, Procellaria gigantea, or nelly (quebrautahuesos, 

 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 with- 

 out seeing on what it feeds. The " break-bones " is, however, a 

 rapacious bird, for it was observed by some of the officers at Tort 

 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 (Puffinus 

 cinereus), 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 

 Chiloo. 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 Berardi, 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 straight line, it drops, 

 as if struck dead, and dives again, The form of its beak and 



