290 CHONOS ARCHIPELAGO. [cmap. x111. 
bird, both in the inland channels and on the open sea. In its 
habits and manner of flight, there is a very close resemblance 
with the albatross; and as with the albatross, a person may 
watch it for hours together without seeing on what it feeds. 
The “ break-bones” is, however, a rapacious bird, for it was 
observed by some of the officers at Port St. Antonio chasing a 
diver, which tried to escape by diving and flying, but was con- 
tinually struck down, and at last killed by a blow on its head. 
At Port’ St. Julian these great petrels were seen killing and 
devouring young gulls. A second species (Puffinus cinereus), 
which is common to Europe, Cape Horn, and the coast of Peru, 
is of a much smaller size than the P. gigantea, but, like it, of a 
dirty black colour. It generally frequents the inland sounds 
in very large flocks: I do not think Iever saw so many birds of 
any other sort together, as I once saw of these behind the island 
of Chiloe. Hundreds of thousands flew in an irregular line for 
several hours in one direction. When part of the flock settled 
on the water the surface was blackened, and a noise proceeded 
from them as of human beings talking in the distance. 
There are several other species of petrels, but I will only 
mention one other kind, the Pelacanoides Berardi, which offers 
an example of those extraordinary cases, of a bird evidently be- 
longing to one well-marked family, yet both in its habits and 
structure allied to a very distinct tribe. This bird never leaves 
the quiet inland sounds. When disturbed it dives to a distance, 
and on coming to the surface, with the same movement takes 
flight. After flying by the rapid movement of its short wings 
for a space ina straight line, it drops, as if struck dead, and 
dives again. The form of its beak and nostrils, length of foot, 
and even the colouring of its plumage, show that this bird is a 
petrel: on the other hand, its short wings and consequent little 
power of flight, its form of body and shape of tail, the absence of 
a hind toe to its foot, its habit of diving, and its choice of situa- 
tion, make it at first doubtful whether its relationship is not 
equally close with the auks. It would undoubtedly be mistaken 
for an auk, when seen from a distance, either on the wing, or 
when diving and quietly swimming about the retired channels of 
Tierra del Fuego. : 
