190 
LARIDiE. 
is more plentiful than in Europe, and on the southern coast 
of Africa it has also been captured. 
The localities frequented by the Storm Petrel are rocky 
shores, in the holes and crevices of which the bird can hide 
itself during the greater part of the day; and early in the 
morning, or when the light begins to be more tempered, 
about sunset, this bird comes forth from its nook, and flies 
incessantly and close over the surface of the sea in search of 
food, which consists of the insects that float on the surface, 
or that are found upon sea-weeds, or on floating dead animal 
matter. 
The flight of this bird is as rapid as that of our swift, and 
it is so well calculated to perform its part during windy 
weather, when the waves run high, that its rising and falling 
with them is one of the most interesting sights that can be 
witnessed on such occasions. It is by no means surprising 
that the Storm Petrel is met with at great distances from the 
shore, its flight being so rapid, and the bird so well able to 
sustain itself upon the wing for a great length of time. 
That this bird swims at times for the purpose of gleaning 
the insects from some floating substances, or in order to rest 
itself, is well known, and it consequently does not require 
dry land at any other time than during the breeding-season. 
If the Storm Petrel does not meet with a proper crevice on 
the rocky sea-coast, it chooses, for a place in which to de¬ 
posit its eggs, a rat’s or rabbit’s hole. The female deposits 
but one single egg, as represented in our Plate. 
This species is by no means shy ; when handled alive it 
vomits a quantity of very rancid oil. 
In confinement it does not endure long, and the only food 
it takes under such circumstances is train-oil. 
This bird is so fat, and contains besides such a quantity of 
oil in its stomach, that the northern inhabitants of the coast 
