122 BULLETIN 121, UNITED STATES NATIONAX. MUSEUM. 



The Bulwer petrel breeds abundantly on several of the islands in 

 the Hawaiian group. Dr. Walter K. Fisher (1906) writes ^ 



We found the Bulwer petrel breeding on Necker Island In considerable num- 

 bers. Here the birds nest In rather deep, bubblelike holes in the rocks, as far 

 from the light as possible. We found the first bird by discovering a white egg 

 under a loose, flat rock back in a cavity. When the stone was lifted the petrel 

 was under the far side. The favorite site, however, is a hole about 2 feet deep, 

 with a narrow entrance, and wider cavity at the rear. These are probably 

 bubbles In the lava. The nest, scarcely worthy of the name, consists of a few 

 old tern feathers gathered rudely around the egg, as if merely to hold it in 

 place. Sometimes there is no trace of a nest, and again I found a few wing 

 bones of a tern, as though these had been used in place of sticks. We found 

 many nests, each with one egg, or occasionally the birds had not yet begun to 

 lay. Once we found a set of two eggs. They are a glossless pure white and 

 differ much in shape, no two in the collection of nine being alike. Ovate is the 

 most prevalent type, more or less acute, varying to elliptical ovate and short 

 ovate. One egg is nearly elliptical. An ovate specimen measures 44 by 30 

 millimeters, another 41 by 31. An almost elliptical egg is 45 by 30. 



Eggs. — Rev. F. C. E. Jourdain has sent me the measurements of 66 

 eggs from Madeira and the Desertas, which average 42.95 by 31.21 

 millimeters; the largest eggs measure 47 by 30 and 42 by 33, and 

 the smallest eggs measure 39.6 by 30.4 and 44.6 by 29.6 millimeters. 



Young. — Yarrell (1871) says: "The nestling is said to be covered 

 with a sooty-brown down." Probably, as in other closely allied 

 petrels, the first plumage assumed is similar to that of the adult. 



Food. — Doctor Fisher (1906) says that birds which flew aboard 

 near Bird Island " had been feeding on fish eggs and ctenophores or 

 comb jelly." 



Behcuvior. — Seebohm (1891) writing of its habits in the Volcano 

 Islands, says : 



Mr. Hoist found it very common on Sulphur Island and sends three examples, 

 in each of which the pale bar across the wing formed by the grey margins of 

 the greater wing-coverts is very conspicuous, which bar is said to be absent in 

 Bulweria macgilUvrayi from the Fiji Islands. These petrels flew about at night 

 like bats in the twilight in great numbers, being extremely bold, sometimes 

 touching the gun with the tips of their wings, but the rapidity of their flight 

 made it very difllcult to shoot them. Mr. Hoist succeeded in dropping one of 

 them and afterwards secured several more in the daytime, when they were 

 found hidden away in pairs among the bushes and rocks all over the island, but 

 he was unable to find any eggs. 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant (1896) writes: "The call of this bird is very 

 fine and was frequently heard at night, a pleasant contrast to the 

 harsh voices of the great shearwaters. It consists of four higher 

 notes and a lower, more prolonged note, the whole repeated several 

 (usually three) times and uttered in a loud, cheerful strain." Doctor 

 Fisher (1906) observes: "The Bulwer petrel is quite gentle, and 

 when first disturbed utters a penetrating but low moan, something 



