STORM PETREL.— WILSON'S PETREL. 287 



" Mr. Hewitson, in the 1st edit, of his ' Illustrations of the 

 Eggs of British Birds' (vol. ii. p. 46) j says that he found 

 the Storm Petrels breeding in Foula, in holes in the cliff, 

 at a great height above the sea^ but in Oxna they were 

 breeding on the earth, under stones on the beach, at a depth 

 of three or four feet or more. When walking, he could hear 

 them chattering under his feet, singing in a sort of warbling 

 note a good deal like that of the Swallow when hovering over 

 a chimney, but somewhat harsher. The nests seem to have 

 been made with little care, of small bits of stalks of plants. 

 The birds remain in their holes during the day, but at night 

 surround the fishermen in great numbers as soon as they throw 

 out portions of fish. Mr. Graham, {' The Birds of lona and 

 Muiy pp. 47, 48), remarks that " Both the young and the 

 old ones, when confined in a basket or bag, escape at the 

 smallest aperture, climbing up the sides like mice, in doing 

 which they use their hooked bill to pull themselves up with ; 

 it seems to be of more service to them than their claws.^^ 



Again, at p. 96 he observes respecting some young birds of 

 this species : — " These little birds seemed to have an irresistible 

 instinct which led them to attempt to surmount every ob- 

 stacle which fell in their way. When walking on the table 

 every book and desk must be climbed by means of the hooked 

 bin, with the assistance of claws and pinions. When upon 

 the floor, I have noticed them striving for a considerable 

 time to ascend the wall of the room." 



WILSON'S PETREL. 



Oceanites oceanica. 



The only occurrence of this Petrel on the coast of Sussex is 

 that mentioned by Mr. Bond (' Zoologist,' p. 148) as having 



