THE WILSON'S PETREL 



{Oceanites oceaiiicusS) 



Mr. Chapman has well expressed a 

 very interesting feature in the life of 

 these Petrels which we quote: '*It is 

 generally known that some birds which 

 nest in the northern parts of our conti- 

 nent, in the winter migrate as far south 

 as Patagonia ; but comparatively few are 

 aware that during the summer we re- 

 ceive several visitors from the southern 

 parts of the southern hemisphere. They 

 are all included in the family Procellar- 

 iidce, and Wilson's Petrel is doubtless 

 the most common. It breeds in the islands 

 of the South Atlantic in February, and 

 after the cares of the breeding season are 

 over, migrates northward to pass the 

 winter off our coasts." While in the 

 North their home is upon the ocean and 

 it is seldom that they are seen on the 

 land except during tempestuous storms. 

 They are commonly known to sea voy- 

 agers, who receive much pleasure while 

 watching them from the vessel's decks,- 

 as Mother Carey's Chickens or Stormy 

 Petrels. Their flght is graceful and beau- 

 tiful and they will frequently follow a 

 vessel for many miles, feeding upon the 

 refuse or fragments of food which may 

 be thrown overboard. They are very 

 abundant off the eastern coast of the 

 United States during the summer and 

 their general range may be given as the 

 Atlantic Ocean, both North and South, 

 and the southern seas. They are known 

 to breed quite extensively on Kerguelen 

 Island southeast of Africa. Some ob- 

 servers tell us that they will feed upon 

 insects which they catch while flying in 

 a manner similar to swallows. Audu- 

 bon speaks of their notes, which he says 

 are more frequently emitted at night 

 than by day, as resembling the sound of 

 the syllables ^^^-r^-^^^-^^^. 



To those who have had the pleasure 

 of seeing these birds flying over the briny 

 deep, the lines of Barry Cornwall, re- 



garding the Petrel, seem peculiarly ap- 

 propriate : 



O'er the Deep ! O'er the Deep ! 

 Where the whale, and the shark, and the sword- 

 fish sleep, 

 Outflying the blast and the driving rain. 



Mr. Wilson well described its habits 

 when he wrote: "But the most singu- 

 lar peculiarity of this bird is its faculty 

 of standing, and even running, on the 

 surface of the water, which it performs 

 with apparent facility. When any greasy 

 matter is thrown overboard, these birds 

 instantly collect around it, and face to 

 windward, with their long wings ex- 

 panded, and their webbed feet patting 

 the water, which the. lightness of their 

 bodies and the action of the wind on their 

 wings enable them to do with ease. In 

 calm weather they perform the same 

 manoeuvre by keeping their wings just 

 so much in action as to prevent their 

 feet from sinking below the surface." 

 Wilson's Petrels are small birds, yet they 

 seem when flying, quite large. While 

 the body is only a little larger than that 

 of a sparrow, they have long wings 

 which give them the appearance of be- 

 ing much larger than they are. Never- 

 theless they are birds of great strength 

 and endurance. While they have webbed 

 feet these Petrels swim but little. They 

 will follow a steamer by flight all day, 

 but as night approaches, they will drop 

 upon the watery surface of the sea and 

 rest through the dark hours. Surely 

 their rest is well represented in the lines 

 of Emma Willard: 



Rocked in the cradle of the deep, 

 I lay me down in peace to sleep ; 

 Secure I rest upon the wave, 

 For thou, O Lord, hast power to save. 



While the flight of the Petrels is cheer- 

 ing and amusing to the passengers of a 

 vessel, they are quite generally believed 



n9 



