12 



THE OOLOGIST. 



would have passed without discovering 



it. 



As we were departing in our boat we 

 met a fisherman engaged in hauling his 

 lobster pots. He was surprised to 

 learn I had found some Eider's eggs as 

 he said he had thoroughly searched the 

 island the day before, taking two sets 

 of Eider eggs and a tine set of 10 Red- 

 breasted Mergansers. I offered him 

 some money for the latter eggs, if he 

 stillhad them, but he said, "Lor, they 

 was all eaten up long ago." 



We now started on our return to 

 Sunshine, having made plans to visit 

 Seal Island the first good day in order 

 to obtain some eggs of Leach's Petrel. 

 Seal Island is situated some twenty 

 miles out to sea, and is the last land 

 passed by a vessel heading seaward. 

 As the island is so far out to sea a land- 

 ing on it can only be made after a 

 northwest wind has blown a day or so, 

 and calmed the rough seas which come 

 rolling in from the Atlantic Ocean. 



The next few days it was very foggy 

 so I passed the time in preparing such 

 specimens as I had already taken. 



July 1 favored us with a good north- 

 west wind so towards evening we went 

 on board the boat and got under way, 

 having decided to go as far as Isle an 

 Haut that day and anchor in a good 

 harbor there. This harbor was the 

 nearest place from which to start for 

 Seal Island, and by making a start at 

 daylight the next morning I would 

 have plenty of time to spend ou the is- 

 land. 



It w as not yet dark so we went ashore 

 on Isle an Haut, and inspected the 

 numerous cottages which belong to 

 wealthy New Yorkers who spend their 

 summers here. This island is very 

 picturesque with its rocks and crags, 

 and many artists pass the summer in 

 painting the hcenery. The natives of 

 the island have applied the name "rus- 

 ticators" to every one who comes there 

 to pass the summer. 



Returning to the boat we had our 

 supper and were soon lost in slumber. 

 The next morning we awoke at day- 

 break, and although there was scarcely 

 any wind blowing we got under way. 

 After sailing five hours we reached our 

 destination. Seal Island is perhaps 

 half a mile long by a fifth mile wide. 

 Its surface is covered with i-ich loamy 

 soil, the disintegrated guano from gen- 

 erations of seabirds, and in this soil the 

 Petrels excavate their burrows to a. 

 length of from H to 2 feet. At the end 

 of the burrow it enlarges into a small 

 chamber which is occupied by a nest of 

 dried grass, in which is deposited the 

 single egg laid by this species. 



Landing, we were soon at work dig- 

 ging for eggs. Petrel burrows were to 

 be found anywhere over the surface of 

 the island where there was sufficient 

 soil. Often four or five nests were 

 found within an area of two feet, and 

 in every nest which contained an egg 

 one of the parent birds was engaged in 

 incubating it. Many burrows contain- 

 ed two birds and in such we did not 

 find any eggs. 



We would run our arms into the bur- 

 rows, and by pr3'iug upward easily 

 break through the soft soil so as to be 

 able to reach the egg at the end of the 

 burrow. I usually removed the egg 

 and left the bird sitting on the empty 

 nest. At first I had X'emoved the birds 

 before taking their eggs but I soon 

 found that on being handled they spit 

 out a quantity of fishy oil with very 

 accurate aim. On being released iliey 

 seemed half dazed, and went stumbling 

 blindly about so I concluded that it 

 would be belter for all couc^^rued to 

 leave them in their uesis. 



The eggs of Leach's Petrel are of a 

 pure white color when nut stained by 

 damp nest material, and while many 

 eggs are absolutely unmarked a major- 

 ity arespeckleil wiih a iaw marks about 

 the larger end. A few eggs have 

 wreaths of lavender spots about the 



