116 BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR EGGS A.ND NESTS. 



of high precipitous rocks as are surfaced with a little grass or 

 sward. The egg varies in length from a little over 2 inches to 

 3 inches. 



318. GREATER SHEARWATER (Puffinus major). 

 Cinerous Shearwater, Dusky Shearwater. A bird which has 



not been very frequently recorded as met with on the British 

 seas, but still one of occasional occurrence. 



319. MANX SHEARWATER (Puffinm Anglormi). 

 Shearwater Petrel, Manx Puffin. This is a regular sea-faring 



little bird, and perhaps would hardly ever care to come to land if 

 it were not for the need of something solid for its eggs to repose 

 upon. It usually frequents islands well-washed by the sea and 

 not much frequented by men. It used to be very abundant on 

 the Calf of Man, but is never seen there now. In one of the 

 Scilly Islands it breeds in some numbers still, and on St. Kilda, 

 the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland. The nest is made deep 

 down in a hole in some wild and half inaccessible part of the 

 islands frequented, and in it one egg of exceeding whiteness is 

 laid, and remarkable for the fine texture of the shell amd the 

 musky scent of the entire egg. It is about 2 inches long by 1 J 

 broad. 



320. BULWER'S PETREL (TMassidroma Sulwerii). 

 A Petrel of sufficiently rare occurrence. 



321. WILSON'S PETREL (Thalassidroma Wilsoni). 

 Equally rare with the bird last-named. 



322. PORK-TAILED PETREL (Thalassidroma Leachii\ 



Subject to the same remark as the two last. 



323. STORM PETREL (Thalassidroma procellaria). 



Mother Carey's Chicken. This is said to be the smallest web- 

 footed bird known, and it is the last as well as the least. It never 

 comes to the shore except at the breeding-season, and only seeks 

 comparative shelter under the pressure of very heavy weather. 

 It breeds in the Scilly Islands, some of the islands on the Irish 

 coast, and abundantly on St. Kilda, the Orkneys and Shetland. 

 They breed in holes in a cliff, or under large-sized stones, which, 

 from their great size and the accumulation of boulders and large 

 shingle about them, afford many deep recesses well suited to the 

 wants of the nesting Petrel. Like the Manx Shearwater, they 

 are by no means silent in their nest-holes, but make themselves 

 distinctly audible to the passenger above. They lay one white 

 egg, a little exceeding 1 inch long, by J broad. 



