WILSON'S PETREL. 449 



OCEANITES WILSONI. 

 WILSON'S PETREL. 



Procellaria oceanica, Kuhl, Beitr. Zool. p. 136, pi. x. fig. 1 (1820). 



Procellaria wilsoni, Bonap. Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. iii. 1823, p. 231, pi. 9. fig. 2 ; 



et auctorum plurimorum Audubon, Baird, Yarrell, &c. 



Thalassidroma wilsoni (Bonap.), Nuttall, Man. Orn. Un. Stat. Sf Can. ii. p. 434 (1834). 

 Thalassidroma oceanica {Kuhl), Schinz, Europ. Faun. i. p. 397 (1840). 

 Oceanites wilsoni (Bonap.), Keys. $ Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. 238 (1840). 

 Oceanites oceanica (KuM), Bonap. Compt. Rend. xlii. p. 769 (1856). 



Flocks of Wilson's Petrels have several times been observed off the south- 

 west coasts of England, and stray examples have been obtained in the 

 counties adjoining them. It has also been obtained in Norfolk, Sussex, 

 Wiltshire, in the Isle of Wight, and in Yorkshire. It has not hitherto 

 been observed in any part of Scotland or off the coasts of that country ; 

 and only one doubtful specimen is recorded by Thompson from Ireland. 

 Stress of weather sometimes drives this bird inland ; but as a rule it keeps 

 far out at sea, and may thus visit our coasts far more frequently than is 

 generally supposed. 



So far as is known, Wilson's Petrel is confined during the breeding- 

 season to the southern hemisphere, where it is probably a circumpolar 

 bird, though its eggs have never been taken anywhere except on Kerguelen 

 Land, an island in the extreme south of the Indian Ocean. During our 

 summer it migrates northwards. In the Indian Ocean it has occurred on 

 the African and Australian coasts, and as far north as the Bay of Bengal. 

 In the Pacific Ocean it has occurred on the coasts of Australia, New 

 Zealand, Peru, and Chili. In the Atlantic Ocean it visits the West Indies, 

 along the course of the Gulf-stream from New York to St. George's 

 Channel, the Azores, Madeira, and the West- African coasts as far south 

 as the Cape. Wilson's Petrel has no ally with which it is likely to be 

 confused. 



During each of the four times that I have crossed the Atlantic, Stormy 

 Petrels, about as large as a Swift, with white rump and square tail, have 

 been abundant, sometimes in great numbers. These were undoubtedly 

 Wilson's Stormy Petrel. They were most abundant near the American 

 coast, but were often to be seen in mid-ocean, and a few followed the 

 ship until we were in sight of the Irish coast. They fly very much like 

 Swallows, and neither rain nor wind seems to interfere with their move- 

 ments in the least. In stormy weather they took little or no notice of the 



