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Stormy Petrel. It keeps its wings nearly at right angles with its body, and makes considerable 

 use of its feet, particularly during calm weather, when it at times hops or leaps several feet, or 

 pats the water, whilst its wings are extended upwards with a fluttering motion ; and it inclines 

 its head downwards to pick up its food from the water, and I have observed it immerse the whole 

 head beneath the surface to seize on small fishes, in which it generally succeeded. It can walk 

 pretty well on the deck of a vessel, or any other flat surface, and rise from it without much 

 difficulty. Its notes are different from those of the Forked-tailed Petrel, and resemble the 

 syllables kee-re-kee-kee. They are more frequently emitted at night than by day. I never could 

 ascertain whether or not these birds alight on the rigging at night ; but my opinion is that they 

 do not ; for the sailors, to whom I had offered premiums for catching some of them, told me that, 

 although they flew about them while aloft, they could not see one standing anywhere. 



" During my several visits to the coasts of the Floridas I saw scarcely any of these birds in 

 the course of several months spent there ; but I found them pretty abundant on returning towards 

 Charleston. This species, like the others, feeds on mollusca, small fishes, Crustacea, marine 

 plants, excrements of cetaceous animals, and the greasy substances thrown from vessels. When 

 caught, they squirt an oily substance through the nostrils, and often disgorge the same. The 

 sexes are similar in their external appearance." 



Audubon's statement that this Petrel breeds on the mud islands off the coast of Nova Scotia 

 does not appear to have been confirmed by any recent naturalists ; and it is not improbable that 

 he was mistaken. I do not find any authentic record of its breeding-habits in northern latitudes ; 

 but the Rev. A. E. Eaton, naturalist to the recent Transit-of- Venus expedition, made some 

 excellent notes respecting its nidification on Kerguelen Island, which are published in Mr. R. B. 

 Sharpe's article on the bfrds obtained on that expedition, and which I transcribe as follows : — 

 " From the 10th of October, when we passed Cape Sandwich, until the middle or third week of 

 November, we completely lost sight of the Storm-Petrels. About the period last mentioned, 

 however, they began to frequent Observatory Bay in large numbers. Their first appearance in 

 it took place during a strong breeze which lasted several days. When this was succeeded by 

 more moderate weather, we saw little of them in the day-time ; but towards evening they used 

 to fly over the water like Swallows, and some of them might be observed flying near the ground 

 far away into the country, following the course of the valleys, or playing round the inland cliffs. 

 We tracked them along the lower hill-sides and the margins of lakes over rocks and bogs; but 

 our efforts to learn what became of them were unattended with success. Probably at that time 

 they were not preparing to breed, and the birds were merely going overland from the bay to 

 other inlets of the sea. At length, when we went to Thumb Peak, their mode of nesting was 

 discovered. Carefully watching, with Lieut. Goodridge, R.N., the birds flying to and fro about 

 the rocks, we observed that they occasionally disappeared into crevices amongst piles of loose 

 stones, and crept under loose masses of rock. Having meanwhile ascertained their call, we were 

 able by listening attentively to detect the exact positions of several of these hidden birds. They 

 were easily caught when the stones were rolled aside ; but they were in couples, merely pre- 

 paring for laying, and therefore we did not find any eggs. On our way back to Observatory Bay 

 after the Transit, we called at the American Station, and were informed by Dr. Kidder that he 

 had observed this Petrel on the shore near Molloy Point. The sea-shore in the neighbourhood 



