150 THE OENITHOLOGIST. 



had been lying up amongst some long grass growing at a 

 rock-side, and rabbit-burrows became conspicuous as I slowly 

 moved along. I tried several of these, and found them of 

 limited depth and without contents. Having examined three 

 or four burrows, I came to a small hole running between 

 two stones embedded in the bank, and on looking in I saw 

 a Petrel's egg lying on the bare earth with no bird in sight. 

 With some difficulty I forced my hand into the crevice and 

 extracted the egg. At the same time I recognised the peculiar 

 musky odour emanating from the hole, which brought to my 

 mind the allusion to the " vild smell dii kens," and I had a 

 clue that could be used to purpose. I found no other tenanted 

 hole along that hollow, and was soon joined by my companions, 

 who shared in my delight. 



Meanwhile, the Starlings were as excited as ever, and 

 young ones were chirping wildly in their concealment. The 

 noise revealed to us the tenanted hole, and looking into the 

 crevice amongst the stones, we saw the brood reclining on a 

 nest of hay, and occasionally raising their long necks for food. 



Kesuming our search for Petrels, I let my companions 

 have the secret about the musky odour, and we were soon all 

 testing the various cracks for it. I soon detected it again, 

 and directed their attention to it, but on closely interrogating 

 Tammie, learned that he felt only the smell of the " soorocks." 

 This hole threatened much digging, and was left alone. "We 

 crossed a few stones built up like a wall, and reached the spot 

 where eggs had been taken on the previous visit. Suddenly a 

 curious low grinding cry was heard to proceed from under the 

 stones, and known by my companions to come from a Petrel. 

 Directing attention to this quarter, and locating the spot from 

 which the sound proceeded as exactly as possible, we raised 

 stone after stone and rolled them aside, being encouraged in 

 our work by the continued calling beneath, and convinced as 

 we dug on that the bird must have an intricate path to 

 traverse ere she reached her lair. At length we came on a 

 large flat stone, underneath which we deemed her to be sitting, 

 and I was in readiness to capture her when my associates 

 raised the stone. Up they heaved it, and exposed the little 

 bird sitting close to the ground. She did not stir when the 



