226 
NATURAL HISTORY 
their wretched banquets. They have been long used to 
no other food; and even a salted gull can be relished by 
those who know no better. 
Stormy Petril. ( Procellarm Pelagica. Wil. PI. 38.) 
The stormy petril is not larger than a swallow; and its 
colour is entirely black; except the coverts of the tail, 
the tail itself, and the vent feathers, which are white. 
Its legs are long and slender. 
It is found in most seas, and frequently at a vast dis- 
tance from the land, where it braves the utmost fury of 
the storm, sometimes skimming with incredible velocity 
along the hollows of the waves, and sometimes over their 
summits. It is also an excellent diver, and often follows 
vessels to pick up any thing that is thrown overboard; 
but its appearance is always looked upon by the sailors as 
the sure presage of stormy weather in the course of a 
few hours. It seems to seek protection from the fury of 
the wind, in the wake of the vessels: and for the same 
reason it very probably is, that it often flies along between 
two surges. — The nests of these birds are found in the 
Orkney Islands, under loose stones, in the months of 
June and July. They live chiefly on small fish; and al- 
though mute by day, are very clamorous during the 
night. 
There are about twenty species of foreign birds of 
this kind. In the high southern latitudes one is found, 
which is the size of a goose, and on that account is 
called the giant petril. The upper parts of its plumage 
are pale brown, mottled with dusky white ; the under 
parts are white. 
Great Tern. (Sterna Hirundo . Wil. PI. 38.) This 
bird is about fourteen inches long, and weighs four 
ounces and a quarter. The bill and feet are a fine crim- 
son, the former is tipped with black, and very slender. 
The back of the head is black : the upper part of the 
body is a pale gray, and the under part white. They 
have been called sea swallows, from appearing to have 
all the same actions at sea that the swallow has on land, 
seizing every insect which appears on the surface, and 
