LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN PETRELS AND PELICANS. 127 



The late Mr. H. D. Graham once took two storm petrels about a fortnight old, 

 covered with a profusion of down, on the 8th of September. They were at 

 first fed with very small bits of fish, which they took reluctantly, but soon 

 developed a great partiality for cod-liver oil, and " would suck a stick dipped 

 in oil very willingly, clattering their bills and shaking their heads with evi- 

 dent satisfaction. I should conclude from this that the petrels feed their young 

 with the oil which they have the power of ejecting from their bills." These 

 nestlings became fledged about the middle of September — when about three 

 weeks old— supposing that they were two weeks old when obtained, and be- 

 came much dissatisfied with confinement, though they still retained a great 

 deal of down upon their bodies. "Night and day their long, powerful wings 

 were in incessant motion in their attempts to escape from the box. As soon 

 as the lid is opened they raise themselves up until they can hook their bills on 

 to the edge ; and then, assisted by their wings, and scrambling with their claws, 

 they hoist themselves up. When upon the top of the box, they would be satis- 

 fied for a little while, shake themselves, and dress their feathers. The instinc- 

 tive love of motion, however, would soon return, and they go ofC on a voyage 

 of discovery. They walk with great caution, keeping their heads down, and 

 using their bills as walking sticks, hooking hold of any inequality to assist them- 

 selves along, and keeping themselves up, for they have a constant tendency to 

 topple over on their faces ; they also are of great service to feel their way, for 

 their sight seemed very imperfect, and their eyes were generally closed. [This 

 we might have anticipated, from the fact that this petrel passes the first few 

 weeks of its existence in more or less complete darkness]. When informed 

 by the bill that they are arrived at the edge of the table, the closed eyes open, 

 and an anxious survey is taken of the depth below, and after considerable 

 preparation and thought, the hazardous leap is taken, and a short flight per- 

 formed in safety to the floor. These little birds seemed to have an irresistible 

 instinct which led them to attempt to surmount every obstacle which fell in 

 their way. When walking on the table every book and desk must be climbed 

 by means of the hooked bill, with the assistance of claws and pinions. 



Flumages. — Godman (1907) says that the young bird is "at first 

 covered with long down of a sooty ash color, making the bird look 

 like a long-haired mouse, as no bill or wings are visible. When 

 the down is shed, the plumage of the young bird is exactly similar 

 to that of the adult, with the exception that the greater wing 

 coverts have a distinct, if narrow, margin of white. The scapulars 

 and black tips of the upper tail coverts also have nearly obsolete 

 white fringes." Morris (1903) describes the young bird somewhat 

 differently; he writes: 



The young bird is not quite so dark as its parents the first year. The breast 

 has less white near the tail ; the margins of the wing coverts are rusty brown. 

 The tertiaries have Uttle or no white on their edges. 



Food. — Of the storm petrel's food Macgillivray (1852) writes: 

 The food of this species is said by authors to consist of oily and fatty sub- 

 stances, small Crustacea and mollusca, fishes, animal matter of any kind, 

 garbage thrown from ships, and even seaweeds. It frequently appears in 

 the wake of vessels, especially before or during stormy weather, but also when 

 it is calm; and then picks up portions of animal and vegetable substances, 

 even fragments of biscuits, that are thrown to it. But, generally, its stomach 



