4 
STOllMY PETREL. 
the hai’hour tliey were hovering in dozens over the rolling breakers, and were frequently carried by the 
ii'resistible squalls of wind right aci’oss the carriage-drive. I once remarked an immature Pomatorliine Skua 
attempting to hold to windward over the beaeh in front of the town, but the weary stranger w'as more than 
onee earried back by the drifting squalls, and seemed in an extremely weak and helpless condition. 
The surface of the Korth Sea on Monday morning, the 18th, was nearly as smooth as glass, the wind 
having completely dropped ; and leaving the harbour early in the ‘ llelianee,’ we steamed out through the roads 
and round the sands. Immense numbers of Stormy Petrel were resting on the water, most of them asleep, 
with their heads buried under the feathers of their backs, strongly resembling small round balls as they 
floated about, with their plumage puffed out, in the tideway. They were passed during the whole of the 
day along the coast from Winterton to Lowestoft, many hundreds being notieed. No E'orked -tailed Petrels 
were observed, though I carefully examined with the glasses all that were within view, as we steamed slowly 
past them. These poor little birds had evidently been eompletely tired out by the long continuation of 
the gale, and were now endeavouring to reeruit their strength by seeking repose on the plaeid surface of the 
water. 
On the 20th I was out to the Newarp lightship, and then round the Cross Sands returning by St, Nicholas 
Gat. M e boarded the Newarp, and proved to be the first vessel spoken since the gale, which had been ridden 
with one hundred and sixty fathom of cable ; the crew had naturally had a rough time of it, still everything 
on board Avas in the greatest possible order and cleanliness. Tlie only birds that had come on board during 
the Aveek of the gale were two Stormy Petrel Avith a few of our Common Pinches and a female Blackbird. 
The Stormy Petrel, so numerous close in shore tAvo days previous, had noAV almost entirely disappeared, 
and on'ly tAvo or three were noticed flitting about in an apparently Avorn-out condition outside the Cross Sands. 
During May 1881, many Stormy Petrel Avere reported as seen in the Channel off Brigliton and 
Shorcham by fishermen and shorc'shooters, and some of tlie Porked-tailed species Avere also declared to have 
been killed; one of the latter I, liowe\er, discovered to be a Nightjar, shot a couple of miles at sea Avhile 
on the j)assage to its breeding-haunts. Such ridiculous mistakes are unfortunately of not unfrequent 
occuiTence, and doubtless at times lead to false entries of rare birds being recorded in AA'orks on natui’al 
history. 
The earliest mention in my notes concerning the Stormy Petrel is made in December 18G4, Avhen a bird 
of this species Avas obseiwed just before dusk to strike the front of one of the large houses in the Marina, a 
roAV facing the Channel, at St. Lconards-on-Sea, in Sussex, and came fluttering doAvn into the area. This 
occurred shortly after a heavy gale, and I came to the conclusion that the poor little mite must have been 
so weary and Avorn out by the continued exposure to the force of the Avind and squalls of rain that had lately 
SAvept over this part of the coast, as to be utterly oblivious as to the course it Avas folloAving. 
■\Vhile referring to this speeies, in vol. vi. of his ‘ History of British Birds,’ the Eev. E\ O. Morris remarks : 
“ It has received its name of Petrel from its habit of Avalking or running on the surface of the water, as the 
Apostle St. Peter did, or essayed to do.” I could ncA^er understand Avhy these birds Avere called “ Mother 
Carey’s Chickens ; ” and in hopes of ascertaining the reason for this appellation, an inquiry Avas made to the 
very obliging editor of ‘ The Pield,’ and the folloAving ansAver appeared on the 16th of January, 1886 : — 
“ E. T. B. — It is supposed that the name ‘ Mother Carey ’ is a corruption of Madre cara (dear mother), 
addressed by pious seamen to the Virgin Avhen beseeching her aid to a\'ert a storm.” 
