9314 Birds. 
Storm Petrel.—Most sea birds are unusually late in laying this year. 
Storm petrels nearly always commence laying about the middle of 
June, but this season no eggs were obtained before the 7th of July. 
In 1861 I found fresh eggs as late as the 15th of August. This species 
breeds abundantly in this island (Unst), whole colonies of them being 
found deep down among large loose stones upon the beach, among 
loose stones and rocks in the cliffs, and occasionally in incomplete 
rabbit-burrows, not more than two or three feet deep. During the day 
T have always found the sitting birds silent until the nests began to be 
exposed by the removal of the stones, but at night they keep up a 
constant chattering. At such times one is of course immediately 
attracted to the spot, but during the day-time I have never discovered 
the nests otherwise than by scent. It is almost impossible to pass 
over the stones under which the nests lie without perceiving the strong 
peculiar smell which is never absent from birds of this genus. The 
single egg is deposited upon a few pieces of dry grass, heather, or dead 
plants, often intermingled with pieces of dried mud. It is very rarely 
laid upon the bare ground. I once found two eggs in one nest, but 
fortunately for my peace of mind there was a bird upon each. The 
egg varies greatly in size, though very little in form. The colouring 
also is a little remarkable. JI have specimens perfectly white, others 
with an almost imperceptible ring of faint red spots at one end, and 
others again with the ring exceedingly well marked. I have some- 
times fancied that incubation has the effect of obliterating these marks 
more or less; but it is very certain that fresh eggs are often perfectly 
white, without the faintest appearance of a ring. A very short time 
should be allowed to elapse before the eggs are blown, for they very 
soon spoil. The same remark applies to the eggs of Richardson’s 
skua, but I am utterly unable to account for the fact. The young are 
at first covered with a beautiful and exquisitely soft grayish black 
down. The parent bird sits closely to the egg, and when taken in the 
hand immediately throws up several drops of clear oil, which, by the 
way, is by no means so abominably offensive as some people imagine 
it to be. I have very seldom seen petrels flying in the day-time, and 
upon the few occasions on which I have witnessed such an unusual 
sight the weather was foggy, and the birds were fluttering with loose, 
uncertain flight, very: near their nests. The fishermen regard the 
petrels with great superstition, and relate many strange tales about 
them. It is certain, however, that during the bright summer nights, 
when the boats are thirty or forty miles from land, and the cleaning of 
the fish commences, hundreds of these strange birds suddenly appear 
