PETREL. 191 



the top of it * Their chief food supposed to be small fishes, but 

 they will pick up, or at least examine, every scrap which falls from 

 the ships ;f are pretty common in the north, being found in Kamt- 

 schatka;£ but do not extend to the Arctic Circle, though met with 

 at all distances from land, from Great Britain to the Coast of North 

 America ; common on the Coasts of Brazil ; and are said to breed in 

 great numbers on the shores of the Bahama and Bermuda Islands ; 

 are not unfrequent in the southern regions. Forster§ saw them in 

 lat. 25 deg. Dampier|| in 31 deg. and Osbeck ^[ in 34 deg. south. 

 In the Ferroe Isles the inhabitants draw a wick through the body, 

 from the mouth to the vent, which, when lighted, serves them for 

 some time, burning like a lamp, being fed by the vast quantity of oil 

 contained in the body of it, as well as in other birds of this Genus.** 

 It is true that these birds are seen every where throughout the 

 northern and Atlantic Oceans ; but they also inhabit the Mediterra- 

 nean Seas, being not unfrequent in the neighbourhood of Minorca, 

 and no strangers in the Bay of Gibraltar. Petrels are seen pretty 

 often along the western coasts of Europe and Africa. The open sea 

 seems to be their favourite residence, though sometimes are in the 

 Bay, and one was picked up on the strand, within half a mile of 

 the Town of Gibraltar the end of March ; but we are by no meanse 

 certain of their breeding any where on those shores. It is probable, 

 that they do so in the holes of the rocks like many of the Genus, as 

 Mr. Pennant observed them in August otF the Isle of Skie, lurking 

 among the loose stones, and betraying themselves by their twittering 

 noise ;ft they breed also about Gordon Castle, in Scotland, and 



* Damp. Voy. iii. p. 97. f " Feast along with other sea birds; when we threw 



" the guts of pigs overboard, they general!}' were the first and last on such occasions." — 

 Osb. Voy.\. p. 115. 



% Hist. Kamtsch. 155. Those found here said to be larger than have been observed 

 elsewhere. — Arct. Zool. 



§ Voy. i. 50. 110. || Voy. iii. p. 97. f Voy. i. 113. ** Bran. On,, p. -29. 



ft Br. Zool. This is mentioned as an article of food, in June, by the name of Petterell. 

 See MS on the order and Government of a Nobleman's House. — Archceol. xiii. 352. 



