THALASSIDROMA BULLOCKII. 105 



To both Thalassidroma buUockii and T. pelagica the epithet " Mother 

 Carey's chickens'' has been apphed^ concerning which Yarrell says (1st edit, 

 vol. iii. p. 527), under head of the latter: — "These birds are supposed to be 

 seen only before stormy whether, and therefore are not welcome visitors to 

 sailors, who call them Devil's birds, witches, and Mother Carey's chickens — 

 the last name said to have been originally bestowed upon them by Captain 

 Carteret's sailors, probably from some celebrated ideal hag of that name "*. 



On reference to Hawksworth (vol. i. p. 318, edit. 1773) we find that on 

 Saturday, April 18th, 1767, "Philip Carteret, Esquire, Commander of His 

 Majesty's sloop the ' Swallow,' " in his voyage round the world, on the coast 

 of Chili, enters the following in his journal: — "We also saw also a great 

 many Pintado birds, which are prettily spotted with black and white, and 

 constantly on the wing, though they frequently appear as if they were walking 

 upon the water, like Peterels, to which sailors have given the name of Mother 

 Carey's chickens ; and we saw also many of these." 



This passage does not bear out Mr. Yarrell, usually so accurate, in his 

 statement that the name was originally given by Carteret's sailors ; on the 

 contrary, Carteret mentions it as familiar to them and current in his time. I 

 have in vain sought its origin, which is clearly much older than 1767. 



Query, also, at what date were the birds first called little Peters ? 



Not being able to trace the pedigree of " Mother Carey," the only thing 

 to be done is to have an illustration of herself and her work, with her brood 

 around her. 



In Ray's Willughby (1678, p. 395) we have " an Account of some Birds 

 of the Ferroe or Ferroyer Islands, out of Holer's Epistle to Clus." 



One, " called Stormfinck, is a little bigger than a Sparrow. This is also 

 all grey, but without spots, having a very slender bill. At the sight thereof 



"^ See Jardine^s Wilson^ vol. ii. p. 283^ and Hawl^sworth^s ^Voyages/ voL i. p. 203. 



