178 On the Ornithology of Wilts [Laridce]. 



have designated as " Mother Carey's Chicken," " Little Witch, 1 ' 

 and a variety of other appellations indicative of the superstitious 

 awe they feel towards these innocent little birds, which the} 7 con- 

 sider not only the forerunners of stormy weather, but the actual 

 cause and origin of the tempest. It is true that all the Petrels are 

 more often seen during the prevalence of gales than in calms, and 

 this is owing to their crepuscular habits, which lead them to secrete 

 themselves in their holes while the sun shines ; and they seem 

 thoroughly to enjoy the most boisterous weather, when they will 

 skim over the crested waves, patting them with their feet as they 

 run over the surface ; or fly down into the hollows of the great 

 waves, and then up and over some gigantic billow, in evident 

 delight at the storm of elements raging around. Considering this 

 thorough appreciation of angry weather, it is strange how many 

 specimens are annually picked up either dead or in a dying ex- 

 hausted condition, during stormy weather in inland districts, as if 

 buffeted to death by the violence of the gale. Possibly it may be 

 that driven from their proper element, they are faint from starva- 

 tion, and so unable to contend against the fury of the wind : at all 

 events not an autumn passes without many such casualties to the 

 Storm Petrel occurring in our inland counties. In Wiltshire I 

 have a notice from my friend the Rev. W. C. Lukis of a specimen 

 picked up dead by a labouring man, in the parish of Ludgershall, 

 in November, 1859. The Rev. Townley Dowding, Yicar of Marl- 

 borough, tells me that in April, 1865, he distinctly saw a bird of 

 this species fly to a portion of the Kennet at the foot of his garden, 

 where it remained some five minutes dabbling in the water, then 

 flew off, and alighted again a short distance farther down the 

 stream : and lastl} 7 , as a fitting conclusion to this long catalogue 

 of Wiltshire birds, wherin I have derived so much assistance from 

 the records furnished me by my late lamented friend, the Rev. 

 George Marsh, I mention a specimen of which he informed me, 

 which was picked up dead at Somerford Parva in the year 1830, 

 which had evidently died from exhaustion, and which was preserved 

 by Mr. Wightwick of Brinkworth, but subsequently became moth- 

 eaten, and no longer exists. 



