196 
LA RIDE. 
Several islands situated off the southern coast of Nova 
Scotia, which are formed of sand and light soil, and scantily 
covered with grass, afford Wilson’s Petrel proper localities 
for breeding, and consequently many resort thither about the 
beginning of June. 
These birds make burrows of about two feet deep, and 
at the further end the female deposits her single white 
eS'S- 
Like the other Petrels this species remains in or near 
its nest or burrow during the day, and goes in search of food 
on the approach of evening. 
The entire length of Wilson’s Petrel is seven inches and 
a half; its beak from the forehead six lines, from the gape 
eight lines ; the wing from the carpus to the tip six inches 
two lines ; the naked part of the tibia six lines, the tarsi 
one inch six lines; the middle toe one inch three 
lines. 
The beak is black; the eyes dark brown; the legs 
and feet black with a pale yellow oval mark on the webs ; 
the head, neck, back, wings, and tail are dusky black; 
the greater wing coverts and secondaries reddish black, 
paler at their ends and tipped Avith Avhite ; the under parts 
are all sooty black; the outer feathers of the vent are 
white, and some of the under tail-coverts are tipped 
Avith Avhite ; the rump is Avhite to the extent of two lines ; 
the black Avhich occupies the tip of the square tail is one 
inch and a half in length; the base of the three outer 
tail-feathers are Avhite. 
The male and female are alike : respecting the plumage 
of the immature birds of this species nothing has as yet 
been made known. 
