408 PETRELS, 
are similar, the ground colouring being of every shade, from pure white to 
intense red, and from pale stone-colour to light and dark green. 
THE curious family of the PETRELS now comes before us. A well-known 
British example is the STORMY PETREL, known to sailors as MOTHER 
CAREY’S CHICKEN, and hated by them after a most illogical manner 
because it foretells an approaching storm. 
This bird has long been celebrated for the manner in which it passes over 
the waves, pattering with its webbed feet and flapping its wings so as to 
keep itself just above the surface. 
It thus traverses the ocean with 
wonderful ease, the billows roll- 
ing beneath its feet and pass- 
ing away under the bird with- 
out in the least disturbing it. It 
is mostly on the move in windy 
weather, because the marine 
creatures are flung to the surface 
by the chopping waves and can 
be easily picked up as the bird 
pursues its course. It feeds on 
the little fish, crustaceans, and 
molluscs, which are found in 
abundance on the surface of the 
sea, especially on the floating 
masses of algze, and will for days 
keep pace with a ship for the 
sake of picking up the refuse 
food thrown overboard. Indeed 
to throw the garbage of fish 
into the sea is a tolerably certain 
method of attracting these birds, 
who are sharp-sighted, and sel- 
dom fail to perceive anything 
eatable. The name of Petrel is 
given to the bird on account of 
its powers of walking on the 
water, as is related of St. Peter. 
This Petrel breeds on our 
northern coasts, laying a white 
egg in some convenient recess, 
a rabbit burrow being often em- 
ployed for the purpose. 
THE well-known WANDERING 
ALBATROSS is the largest of all 
the species. 
This fine bird is possessed of 
wondrous powers of wing, sail- 
ing along for days together with- 
out requiring rest, and hardly 
ever flapping its wings, merely 
swaying itself easily from side to side with extended pinions. It is 
found in the Southern Seas, and 1s very familiar to all those who have 
voyaged through that portion of the ocean. Like the petrel, it follows the 
ships for the sake of obtaining food. and so voracious is the bird that 1 has 
been observed to dash at a piece of blubber weighing between three and four 
pounds, and ,ulp it down entire, : 
GUILLEMOT.—(Uria Troile.) 
