536 PEOCELLAEIID^E 



the deep signifying an approaching storm, and indeed many 

 a Jack-Tar, brave and stout-hearted in other respects, has 

 been known to lose courage on sighting this harmless and 

 interesting little creature. During wild weather, especially 

 after stormy nights, it may be seen flying quite near the 

 coast-land. 



Voice. In the breeding-season the Storm-Petrel utters 

 a succession of twitters, especially if the nest be molested. 

 The note of the hatching-bird sounds like ti-tee-tick, oft 

 repeated (Harvie-Brown and Buckley). 



FIG. 6G. LEFT FOOT OF STORM-PETREL. Nat. size. 



Food. Small fish, crabs, shrimps, shell-fish, cuttle-fish, 

 and animal offal, especially fatty material, constitute the 

 diet ; oily substances in a state of semi-digestion are 

 frequently to be found in the stomach. Floating offal is 

 rapidly snatched from the water during flight, less usually 

 the bird alights to feed. Mr. Ussher has observed numbers 

 off the Kerry coast flying round the carcase of a large 

 cetacean " in full daylight, as though they were desirous of 

 picking up morsels of the carcase or oily matter" ('Birds of 

 Ireland,' p. 385). Captive birds, though often very reluctant 

 to feed, will, when pressed with hunger, eat morsels of fish 

 from the hand. 



Nest. In May, Storm-Petrels assemble in large numbers 

 at their breeding-homes, on rocky islands, preferably those 

 strewn with loose boulders and clad to some extent with 

 peaty soil. The birds are noisy, but, considering the num- 

 bers present, proportionately few are seen in the day-time as 

 the majority are hidden in nooks and burrows where they 

 are hatching. The nest is never placed in an exposed 



