THE PETREL. 85 



pearly whiteness. Whenever the bank happens to be a conven- 

 ient one, it is pierced with holes as numerous as those of the 

 sand martin of our own country ; and if the observer can manage 

 to conceal himself in close proximity to the nest, and will remain 

 perfectly quiet, he will witness a scene which is unsurpassable 

 for beauty. 



Although gifted with the rapid wing of the swift, the Bee- 

 eater does not possess the untiring flight of that bird, and, there- 

 fore, is accustomed to repose at short intervals, whenever it has 

 caught a butterfly, or some large and active insect. Numbers of 

 these lovely birds may be seen perched in rows upon the branch- 

 es of neighboring trees, exhibiting masses of color that have a pe- 

 culiarly magnificent effect to the eye. Here they sit for the pur- 

 pose of eating the prey which they have captured, and the ground 

 beneath these favored branches is thickly strewn with wings of 

 butterflies and other insects which they have devoured. 



I do not think that the Bee-eater ever makes its nest in En- 

 gland, for it is only an occasional visitor, and is generally shot 

 before it has passed many days, or even hours, in this country. 

 But its nest may be plentifully found in the warmer latitudes of 

 Europe, and many parts of Asia and northern Africa. 



We often find burrowers where we least expect them. 



Who would think, on inspecting a specimen of the well-known 

 Stormy Petrel (Thalassidroma pelagica), that it was able to dig 

 into the ground, and form the burrow in which it makes its nest? 

 Such, however, is the case, and the pretty little traverser of the 

 ocean shows itself to be as accomplished in excavating the 

 ground as it is in flitting over the waves with its curious mix- 

 ture of flight and running. If the Stormy Petrel can find a bur- 

 row already dug, it will make use of it, and accordingly is fond 

 of haunting rocky coasts, and of depositing its eggs in some suit- 

 able cleft. It will also settle in a deserted rabbit - burrow, if it 

 can find one sufficiently near the sea, and is found breeding in 

 many places which would equally suit the puffin. 



Failing, however, all natural or ready - made cavities, the 

 Stormy Petrel is obliged to excavate ' a tunnel for itself, and 

 even on sandy ground is able to make its own domicile. Off 

 Cape Sable, in Nova Scotia, there are many low -lying islands, 

 the upper parts of which are of a sandy nature, and the lower 

 composed chiefly of mud. Not a hope is there in such localities 



