230 STORMY PETREL. 



of Porta Praya. It is a dull, sluggish, and retiring 

 animal, shrouding its uncouth form in dark holes and 

 obscure corners of the rocks. It is nocturnal in its 

 habits, shunning the garish light of day, and creeping 

 forth at eve to seek its insect food. Although repulsive 

 in its aspect, it is perfectly harmless, and, like all its 

 tribe, has the power of climbing perpendicular surfaces 

 by its broad and plaited toes. 



On the 7th of March we left the Cape de Verds ; a 

 sluggish mist covered the distant mountains, and the 

 sun, which looks very large in these latitudes, as he sank 

 below the horizon, appeared to have burst, and, like 

 some gigantic meteor, to have poured forth all its fire in 

 one stupendous flame-coloured fan, or gold and crimson 

 tail of some unheard-of bird. The great comet was 

 visible during the night. During our passage across 

 the Indian Ocean, I was much amused in observing the 

 mode of flight of the Petrels. These wild and free-born 

 denizens of the deep, seem to sport in all the conscious- 

 ness of liberty. They cleave the atmosphere of their 

 boundless home on rapid wing, soaring aloft with the. 

 lightness of a feathery cloud ; they skim the surface of 

 the deep, they float upon its bosom, and I have seen 

 the storm-loving Petrel (TJialassidroma pelagicd], that 

 "wanderer of the sea", dive beneath the waters to 

 secure its prey. They always love the troubled ocean, 

 for then their food is more easily procured, and when 

 the sky is lowering and the scud begins to rise, when 

 the wind blows high and the billows are crested with 

 foam, the Petrels are abroad. 



