NORFOLK 
ISLAND 
P. 
DESCRIPTION. 
PLACE. 
Bok |. Bw £ 
Procellaria alba, Ind. Orz. ii. p. 822. 6. 
White-breafted Petrel, Gen. Syz. vi. p. 400. 6. 
Norfolk Ifland Petrel, PA:H. Voy. pl. p. 161. 
ENGTH fixteen inches: bil] one inch and a half long, black, 
and very hooked at the end: the head, as far as the eyes and the 
chin, mottled brown and white in waves: the reft of the bird on the 
upper parts of the body of a footy brown, and on the under, of a 
deep afh colour: the inner part of the quills white, efpecially next 
the bafe: the wings, when clofed, exceed the tail by nearly one inch: 
the tail is rounded at the end, compofed of fixteen feathers, of the fame 
colour as the upper parts: the legs pale yellow: the outer toes black 
the whole of their length; the adjoining web the fame, except juaft at 
the bafe, where it is pale ; the inner toe and: web black for about one 
third: the claws and fpur behind black. 
This inhabits Norfolk land, where it is ingreat plenty, and burrows 
in the fand like a rabbit. On Mount Pitt, the higheft land in the ifland, 
the ground wasas full of holes as a rabbit warren, and an immenfe 
number of aquatic birds burrowed: and built their nefts in them *. 
Thefe, during the day, were at fea, but as night approaches; they re- 
turn in vaft flocks. The fettlers lighted {mall fires every night on this 
mount, about which the birds dropped as faft as the people could pick 
them up and kill them, for the wings of fea birds are generally fo 
long, as to prevent their rifing till they can afcend fome {mall eleva- 
tion ; hence the difficulty in the d/batrofs to detach itfeif from the 
furface of the water, which it can never do without the greateft ex- 
ertion. When, however, it is fortunate enough to gain a {mall rock or 
fhelf, it has only to throw itfelf therefrom, and take wing immedi- 
ately. 
* Hunter's Hift. of Port Fackfans 18,000 faid to have been taken in the {pace of 
about fix weeks, 
