130 



DUSKY PETREL. 



Puffinus obscurus, GOULD. TEMMINCK. 



" BUONAPARTE. DEGLAND. 



Procellaria ob&cura, TEMMT>CK. 



Puffinus ? Obscuruz Obscure. 



THE present species is common on the western coast of 

 Africa to the Cape of Good Hope, and occasionally occurs on 

 the coasts of the Mediterranean. It belongs also to the Canary 

 Islands and to Madeira. A breeding-place is on the Dezertas, 

 a group of small islands near it, as stated by Edward Vernon 

 Harcourt, Esq. A few have occurred in France and Italy. 

 It was obtained by Captain Cook, at Christmas Island. In 

 America it is given by Nuttall as belonging to Canada, and 

 on by the States to the Gulf of Mexico, Elorida, and Georgia, 

 and other parts; also in Bermuda. 



A specimen of this Petrel flew on board a small sloop, 

 near the Island of Valentia, off the seuth-west coast of Ireland, 

 late in the evening of the llth. of May, 1853. 



They are very tameable birds. 



They are able in flight, and skim low over the sea in search 

 of food, and, says Audubon, on approaching a mass of weeds, 

 raise their wings obliquely, drop their legs and feet, run as 

 it were on the water, and at length alight on the sea, where 

 they swim with much ease and dive freely, at times passing 

 several feet under the surface. Whenever an individual settles 

 in a spot, many fly up directly and join it. 



They appear to make use of the bill to assist them in 

 climbing up rocky places. They roost in the daytime in 

 crevices and under stones, namely, when on the land, reposing 

 otherwise on the bosom of the deep, and coming forth 

 towards evening to prowl and prey, the dim light of the 



