234 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



South. African Zoology," under the name of Puffinus cinereus. They 

 are very common at sea from May to August, but retire to Kerguelen's 

 Land aud other places in September or October, to breed. Each pair 

 burrows horizontally into wet peaty soil from two to eighteen feet. At 

 the end of the hole they form a large chamber, and construct in the 

 centre of it a nest similar, except in size, to that of the Albatross, in 

 the hollowed top of which the female lays one white egg. They seldom 

 leave their burrows in the daytime ; and when one happens to do so, it 

 is at once hunted by a Nelly, although no such jealousy exists at sea. 

 From this habit of flying only by night it is called " Night Hawk" by 

 the sealers. Mr. Harris's party, when wrecked on Kerguelen's Land, 

 used to dig these birds out of their burrows, and eat them; and in 

 order to save useless digging — for their spades were only made from the 

 staves of old casks — they would hold one to the mouth of a hole, and 

 make it cry out, when, if another was inside it would answer. Mr. 

 Harris informs me that he never saw the Night Hawk on the Prince 

 Edward Islands ; but as his party was not then in want, they did not 

 hunt for them, and they may therefore breed there also ; for, as they 

 conceal themselves by day, they might easily have remained unobserved. 

 This bird is by far the best diver of all the sea-going Petrels. It seems 

 even fond of it, and often remains under water for several minutes, 

 when it comes up again shaking the water off its feathers like a dog. 

 Sometimes I have seen it, as it flies past, poise itself for a moment in the 

 air at a height of about twenty or twenty-five feet above the sea, 

 and, shutting its wings, take a header into the water. It dives with 

 its wings open, and uses them under the water much in the same man- 

 ner as when flying. 



Procellaria macroptera (Smith) — Long-winged Petrel. — This bird, 

 when on the wing, looks very like a large Swift. It is not by any 

 means common, and I have only seen it east of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. It is not found on the Prince Edward Islands nor Kerguelen's 

 Land. 



Procellaria glacialoicles (Smith) — Silvery Grey Petrel. — Back, wings, 

 head, and tail ash-grey, with a rudely-shaped circular ring of black 

 near the tip of each wing ; rest of the body white. Not common, and 

 not seen by me east of the Cape of Good Hope ; not found on the 

 Prince Edward Islands nor Kerguelen's Land. I presume that this is the 

 bird figured by Gould, although neither he nor Dr. Smith mentions the 

 dark mark on each wing. 



Procellaria mollis (Gould). — Soft-plumaged Petrel. — Not found on 

 the Prince Edward Islands, nor on Kerguelen's land. They fly well, 

 with their wings a little bent back, like a Sandpiper. I think it pro- 

 bable that this bird will prove to be the young of Procellaria Coolcii 

 (Gray). 



Daptton Capensis (Lath.) — Pintado Petrel. — Across the wings three 

 feet, length fifteen inches. When caught and brought on board ship, 

 it throws up from its mouth, • as soon as touched, a quantity of red, 



