262 Tue Birps Asout Us. 
the wild waves, fearless of every danger, flying out in vast curves, 
watching at the same time intently for their finny prey. Like the 
Petrels, these Shearwaters are often seen to trip upon the water with 
extended feet and open wings; they likewise dive for small fish, and 
find an advantage in the storm, whose pellucid mountain waves bring 
to view the shiny prey to more advantage; the birds are therefore 
often seen most active at such times.”’ 
In a little island, an outlier of St. Thomas, Moseley 
found a species of this genus (Pufinus) “nesting in 
holes amongst the grass, laying a single, large white 
egg. The birds allowed themselves to be caught in 
the nest with the hand.” 
The Petrels, that we know so well, also,as Mother 
Carey’s Chickens, are many in species, but do not 
differ materially in habits. Of such as come within 
the limits of North American waters, Ridgway men- 
tions about a dozen, and a good many others, some of 
which may possibly get occasionally out of bounds; 
for these birds have, as Dr. Moseley has stated, “ re- 
duced the science of flight to the condition of a fine 
art.” Storms occasionally drive them inland, but 
they never come voluntarily beyond the limits of 
salt water. It frequently happens that a single petrel 
will appear close astern of an outward-bound vessel 
and remain day after day at about the same distance 
from the steamer, and when the boat turns into port 
the petrel will suddenly disappear. I have not seen 
them follow the vessel far beyond the breakwater 
when it turned into Delaware Bay. Their flight- 
power is something wonderful. 
Dr. Moseley says of the petrels,— 
“They were our constant companions in the Southern Ocean, fol- 
lowing the ship day after day, dropping behind at night to roost on 
