NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 359 



after the ship, but then always solitary, is called the "Cape Hen" by ordinary sailors, 

 and " Black Night Hawk " by the whalers. It makes a hole, larger a good deal than that 

 of the Mutton Bird, and nearly always with its mouth opening on a small pool of water, 

 or in a very damp place. The hole is deep under the ground and very often two yards or 

 more in length. The birds seem to make their holes in certain places in company, at one 

 place on the shores of Greenland Harbour, a number of such holes were found, all within 

 a small area. The bird utters a peculiar prolonged and high pitched cry, either when the 

 nest is dug into and it is handled, or when it goes into the hole and finds its mate there. 



More interesting is the diving Procellarid (Peleeanoides urinatrix), a Petrel which 

 has given up the active aerial habits of its allies, has taken to diving, and become specially 

 modified by natural selection to suit it for this changed habit, though still a Petrel in 

 essential structure. The habits of the bird, which also occurs in the Strait of Magellan, 

 are described by Darwin in his Journal. 1 It is to be seen on the surface of the 

 water in Royal Sound when the water is calm, in very large flocks. On two days 

 when excursions were made in the steam pinnace, the water was seen to be 

 covered with these birds in flocks, extending over acres, which were black with 

 them. The habits of the northern Little Auk are closely similar to those of this bird ; 

 so close is the resemblance, that the whalers have transferred one of. their familiar 

 names for the Little Auk to the Diving Petrel. These Petrels dive with extreme 

 rapidity, and when frightened, rise, flutter along close to the water, and drop and dive 

 again ; it is a curious sight to see a whole flock thus taking flight. The birds breed in 

 enormous quantities on the islands in Royal Sound, making holes in the ground like the 

 Prions ; they are readily attracted by a light, and some were -caught on board through 

 coming to the ship's lights. The single egg is white with a few red specks at one end. 



The remarkable habits of the Sheath-bill (Chionis minor) have already been referred to 

 (see p. 298). These birds, the "Paddy" of the sealers, are present everywhere on the coast, 

 and from their extreme tameness and inquisitive habits, are always attracting one's atten- 

 tion, a pair or two of them always forming part of any view r on the coast. They are pure 

 white, about the size of a very large pigeon, but with the appearance rather of a fowl. 

 They have light pink coloured legs, with partial webbing of the toes, small spurs on the 

 inner side of the wings, like the Spur-winged Plover (they are related to the Plovers), 

 and a black bill with a most curious curved lamina of horny matter projecting over 

 the nostrils. Round the eye is a tumid pink ring bare of feathers; about the head are 

 wattle-like warts. On sitting down on the rocks where there are pairs of Sheath-bills 

 about, one soon has them round, uttering a harsh, half warning, half inquisitive cry on 

 first seeing the intruder, and venturing gradually nearer and nearer, standing and gazing 

 up at him with their heads turned on one side. The birds come frequently within reach 

 of a stick, and can often be knocked over in that way, or bowled over with a big stone, 



1 Journal of Researches during the Voyage of H.M.S. " Beagle," p. 290, eil. 1879. 



