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THE FORKED-TAILED PETREL. 



Thalassidroma Leachii, Bonap. 



PLATE CCLX. Male AND Female. 



Befoiie describing the habits of this bird, I think it necessary to speak 

 of three distinct species which are at times found near our coasts, and of 

 which I have found two breeding within the Union. The present species 

 is the largest ; that named after Wilson the next in size ; and the one 

 called the Stormy Petrel the least. Until I had met with the whole of 

 these species near our coast, I, like others, thought that the last mention- 

 ed kept nearer to Europe than it in reality does at certain seasons. 



In August 1831, I was on board of the American packet-ship the Co- 

 lumbia, commanded by my friend Joseph Delano, Esq. who had promised 

 that, in case of a calm occurring, he would allow me to have a boat manned 

 to go in search of birds. The day is not given, because I never keep a jour- 

 nal while crossing the Atlantic ; but as I had left England on the first of 

 the month, and was then on the banks of Newfoundland, it must have 

 been towards the latter part of it, when the weather suddenly became quite 

 calm and beautiful. " Mother Carey's Chickens'' were by hundreds around 

 the noble ship, and although ill in consequence of the sickness which 

 never leaves me at sea, I asked for a boat and some hands to row me 

 about for an hour or so. This was granted, guns and ammunition were 

 placed in the yawl, and my assistant Mr Henry Ward of London, an 

 officer, and two sailors, accompanied me. We had three guns which were 

 alternately loaded and handed to me. In the course of about an hour 

 twenty-five or thirty Petrels were shot, together with some Fulmars. Had 

 you been looking on, you might perhaps have laughed at me on seeing 

 that the moment after I fired, I was obliged to lean over the side of the 

 bark to relieve myself from the distressing state of my stomach. On re- 

 turning to the ship, my companions nimbly ascended the chains ; but al- 

 though when on land I am pretty firm and active, I was now quite unfit 

 for service, and therefore was hoisted in a chair. Once on deck, I laid 

 myself down on a mattress, my wife attended to me, and I gradually be- 

 came reheved, as the ship stood, to use the words of my kind captain, 

 " as still as if on the stocks." There were the dead birds nicely arranged 



