256 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



our British Petrels. All the indigenous species 

 breed there, and in greater numbers than they do 

 anywhere else. The Stormy Petrel is common 

 enough, and doubtless breeds on every island in the 

 group. Its habits are almost precisely the same as 

 those of the Fork-tailed Petrel, and its egg is similar 

 in colour, only much smaller in size, as the bird is 

 itself. But the grand colony of Manx Shearwaters 

 is perhaps of more general interest; the bird breeds 

 in many other parts of our islands, although nowhere 

 in such numbers as it does here. Soay is its grand 

 head-quarters, but great numbers breed in suitable 

 localities on every other island in the group. This 

 Petrel is also nocturnal in its habits, lying close con- 

 cealed in its burrow during the day, coming out at 

 dusk to search for food over the surrounding sea. 

 St. Kildans say that the Manx Shearwater is one of 

 their first bird visitors in spring, and amongst the 

 last to leave in autumn. Probably the real fact of 

 the case is that the bird haunts the islands through- 

 out the year. Towards the end of May this Shear- 

 water commences to lay. It provides a scanty nest 

 of dry grass at the end of the burrow it has exca- 

 vated, and here it lays a single white egg. Like 

 the Owls and the Nightjars, this bird becomes active 

 at nightfall. The Shearwaters then leave their 

 burrows in thousands, and the grassy island becomes, 

 a scene of activity, birds coming and going in the 



