264 STUDIES IN BIRD-MIGRATION 



Slavonian Grebe, Podicipes auritus. — We observed 

 a bird of the year on 1 6th September, off the east land- 

 ing place. A strong southerly breeze prevailed at the 

 time, and the bird found there a convenient harbour, 

 and passed the entire day in diving and sleeping. It 

 often came quite close to the face of the rocks from 

 which we were watching it. 



Storm- Petrel, Procellariapelagica. — Very numerous 

 during the summer, when they fly noisily about the 

 island during the night-time. They breed on Eilean 

 Mor, and probably on the other islands, in abundance. 

 Many chicks, some of them quite recently hatched, were 

 found during our visit in September, and we saw young 

 ones in every stage, from a few hours old (tiny balls of 

 pretty lavender-grey down) to birds full-grown and fully 

 feathered, except that they had a bunch of down still 

 present on the abdomen. The old birds were entirely 

 absent during the daytime, leaving even the tiny chicks 

 to take care of themselves, and did not return until 

 darkness set in, when they tend their young, and 

 depart again in the early morning, probably to spend 

 the day far out at sea in search of food. We opened 

 out a number of their nesting-holes at all hours of the 

 day, but the old birds were always absent, except in one 

 instance where the young had only just emerged from the 

 Q^%. They nest in the remains of the old buildings, in 

 holes in turf, and under stones among grass. The nest 

 is a mere mat composed of dry roots, grass, etc. I 

 received a young one in full down, which had been taken 

 on 3rd October ; probably the first &g^ of this pair had 

 been taken or destroyed. Occasionally they visited the 

 lantern. 



Fork-tailed Petrel, Oceanodroma leucorrhoa. — 



