644 LARID.E. 



the British Museum, At that time only three other ex- 

 amples of this species were known ; one in the Museum at 

 Paris, a second in the possession of Baron Laugier at Paris, 

 and a third in the collection of M. Baillon, of Abbeville, 

 which had been taken in Picardy. 



This species, and the Storm Petrel next to be described, 

 are mostly obtained in this country during the violent gales 

 of wind which sometimes occur about the vernal, or au- 

 tumnal equinox, but particularly the latter. Several were 

 procured during the stormy weather which occurred in the 

 autumns of 1823, 1825, and 1831. So~ many examples 

 have now been obtained, that it would be useless to enume- 

 rate the localities known. It may be sufficient to notice 

 that it has been obtained on various occasions in all quar- 

 ters of Ireland, and in almost every maritime county of 

 England ; sometimes under peculiar circumstances. Mr. 

 T. C. Heysham, of Carlisle, sent me notice in November, 

 1841, of a Forked-tailed Petrel that was caught in a poke 

 net set for fish in the Solway Frith. I obtained a bird 

 that was sent alive to Leadenhall-market, but it was ex- 

 hausted from want of food when brought to me, and died 

 the same evening. Some are occasionally found in inland 

 counties, at considerable distances from the sea, generally 

 picked up dead or dying from starvation, having been 

 driven far away from their usual sources of food. Mr. T. 

 C. Eyton has recorded one taken near Shrewsbury, and 

 now in his own collection; another was taken in Here- 

 fordshire ; one at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire ; several 

 near London ; one near Saffron Walden ; one at Bassing- 

 bourne, in Cambridgeshire ; one in Derbyshire. The last 

 I have received notice of was in November, 1842 ; this 

 was one taken near Durham, and is now in the possession 

 of the Rev. A. Shafto. It is included by M. Nilsson in 

 his Fauna of Scandinavia. 



