STORMY PETREL. 
257 
affinity to this belief. They have been called Witches Stormy 
Petrels; the Devil’s Birds; Mother Carey’s Chickens, \ pro- 
bably from some celebrated ideal hag of that name; and their 
unexpected and numerous appearance has frequently thrown a 
momentary damp over the mind of the hardiest seaman. 
It is the business of the naturalist, and the glory of philosophy, 
to examine into the reality of these things; to dissipate the 
clouds of error and superstition wherever they begin to darken 
and bewilder the human understanding; and to illustrate Nature 
with the radiance of truth. With these objects in view, we shall 
now proceed, as far as the few facts we possess will permit, in 
our examination into the history of this celebrated species. 
The Stormy Petrel, the least of the whole twenty -four species 
of its tribe enumerated by ornithologists, and the smallest of all 
palmated fowls, is found over the whole Atlantic ocean, from 
Europe to North America, at all distances from land, and in all 
weathers; but is particularly numerous near vessels immediately 
preceding and during a gale, when flocks of them crowd in her 
wake, seeming then more than usually active in picking up va- 
rious matters from the surface of the water. This presentiment 
of a change of weather is not peculiar to the Petrel alone; but 
is noted in many others, and common to all, even to those long 
domesticated. The Woodpeckers, the Snow-birds, the Swallows, 
are all observed to be uncommonly busy before a storm, search- 
ing for food with great eagerness, as if anxious to provide for 
the privations of the coming tempest. The common Ducks and 
the Geese are infallibly noisy and tumultuous before falling 
weather; and though, with these, the attention of man renders 
any extra exertions for food at such times unnecessary, yet they 
wash, oil, dress and arrange their plumage with uncommon 
diligence and activity. The intelligent and observing farmer 
remarks this bustle, and wisely prepares for the issue; but he 
* Arct Zool. p. 464. 
f This name seems to have been originally given them by c.aptain Carte- 
ret’s sailors, who met with these birds on the coast of Chili. See Hawkes- 
worth’s Voyages, vol. i, p. 203. 
VOL. III. L 1 
