MONOGRAPH OF THE PETRELS. 



Mediterranean has been separated by Schembri and Bonaparte as a distinct species, 

 which they named respectively P. melitensis and P. lugubris. I have not been 

 able to examine any large series of specimens from Southern Europe, but I have 

 compared a few individuals with others from more northern localities, without 

 being able to detect any difference between them, either in plumage or measurements. 

 Mr. Howard Saunders, after examining some Spanish examples, suggested that the 

 white band on the rump was narrower in the southern birds, but I cannot confirm this 

 character from the specimens I have examined. 



Like most of the other Storm-Petrels, P. pelagica is crepuscular in its habits, and 

 is consequently not often seen, except at sea. Its food consists of small fish, molluscs, 

 crustaceans, or oily matter. I have myself seen them in great numbers feeding on the 

 carcase of a dead whale. The nest consists of a few blades of rough grass, placed in 

 rabbit-burrows or under stones. The parent birds, when taken from their hiding- 

 places, show but little inclination to fly, and usually crawl back into some dark 

 retreat. 



One of the best accounts of the nesting of this species is that given by Mr. W. Eagle 

 Clarke in his essay on the " Birds of the Flannan Islands " (Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist., 

 1905, p. 85). He writes as follows : — " The Storm-Petrel is very numerous during 

 the summer, when they fly noisily about the islands during the night-time. They breed 

 on Eilean Mhor, and probably on the other islands, in abundance. Many chicks, some 

 of them quite recently hatched, were found during our visit in September, and we saw 

 young ones in every stage from a few hours old (tiny balls of pretty lavender-grey 

 down) to birds full-grown and fully feathered, except that they had a bunch of down still 

 present on the lower part of the abdomen. The old birds are entirely absent during 

 the day-time, leaving even the small chicks to take care of themselves, and do not 

 return until darkness sets in, when they tend their young and depart again early 

 in the morning, probably to spend the day far out at sea in search of food. We 

 opened out a number of their nesting-holes at all hours of the day, but the old birds were 

 always absent, except in one instance, where the young had only recently emerged from 

 the egg. Occasionally they visited the lantern. They nest in the remains of the old 

 buildings, in holes in turf, and under stones among grass. The nest is a mere mat 

 composed of dry roots, grass, etc. I received a young one in full down, which had been 

 taken on the 3rd October ; probably the first egg of this pair had been taken or 

 destroyed." 



The egg is white, with a sprinkling of minute reddish-brown dots, frequently 

 forming a distinct zone round the larger end. The series in the British Museum 

 measures : axis, 1.15-1.2 inch ; diam., 0.85-0.9. 



Adult male. General colour above sooty-black, with a slight plumbeous gloss ; 

 wing-coverts like the back, with obsolete white fringes to the greater series ; quills and 

 tail-feathers black ; the outer feathers white at base, with black shaft-streaks ; upper 



2 DS! 



