746 



THE STORMY PETREL. 



to light and dark green. The shape of the egg is very like that of a jargonelle pear, and 

 the general colour is bluish green with spots, splashes, and streaks of reddish brown and 

 black. The eggs are obtained by men who are let down by ropes over the precipices, 

 and gather up their spoil from the narrow ledges on which they are placed. So narrow, 

 indeed, are some of the ledges, that the egg seems liable to be blown over the edge with 

 everv breeze. 



The. head and upper surface of this bird, 

 with the exception of the white tips to the 

 secondaries, are dull black, and the under 

 surface is pure white. The bill is black, and 

 the legs and toes dark brown. The length of 

 the adult bird is about eighteen inches. 



There are several other British species 

 belonging to this sub-family, among which 

 may be mentioned the BLACK GUILLEMOT 

 (Uria grylU), known by its smaller size and 

 its black plumage with a large white patch 

 on the wing. The LITTLE AUK, or ROTCHK 

 (Arctica alle), so well known in northern 

 seas, also belongs to the same group. 



THE curious family of the Petrels now 

 comes before us. A well-know n British 

 example is the STORMY PETREL, known to 

 sailors as the MOTHER CAREY'S CHICKEN, 

 and hated by them after a most illogical 

 manner because it foretells an approaching 

 storm, and therefore by a curious process of 

 reasoning is taken for its cause. A sailor 

 once told me very frankly, after 1 had held a 

 short argument with him, that " they mostly 

 takes things wrong-side forrards," and so it is 

 with the Stormy Petrel, the pilot-fish, and 

 many other creatures. 



This bird has long been celebrated for 

 the manner in which it passes over the 

 waves, pattering with its webbed feet and 

 Happing its wings so as to keep itself just 

 above the surface. It thus traverses the 

 ocean with wonderful ease, the billows rolling 

 beneath its feet and passing away under the 

 bird without in the least disturbing it. It is 

 mostly on the move in windy weather, be- 

 cause the marine creatures are flung to the 

 surface by the chopping waves and can be 



easily picked up as the bird pursues its course. It feeds on the little fish, crustaceans, and 

 molluscs which are found in abundance on the surface of the sea, especially on the 

 floating masses of algae, and will for days keep pace with a ship for the sake of picking 

 up the refuse food thrown overboard. Indeed, to throw the garbage of fish into the sea 

 is a tolerably certain method of attracting these birds, who are sharp-sighted and seldom 

 fail to perceive anything eatable. It is believed that the Petrel does not dive. The 

 word Petrel is given to the bird on account of its powers of walking on the water, as is 

 related of St. Peter. 



It does not frequent land except during the breeding-season, and can repose on 

 the surface of the ocean, settling itself just at the mean level of the waves, and rising 

 and fallin" quietly with the sweU. This Petrel breeds on our northern coasts, laying 



GUILLEMOT Una TroiU. 



