THE STORMY PETREL. 
241 
become so tame as to suffer themselves, without the 
least fear, to he touched and handled. One kept in a 
cage for some time, was supported by means of smear- 
ing the feathers of the breast with train oil, which the 
bird afterwards sucked with its bill. When the oil 
was placed in a saucer in the cage, it would dip its 
feathers therein, and then suck the oil from them. 
Sailors have a superstitious dislike to the Stormy 
Petrels, or, as they are commonly called. Mother 
Carey's Chickens, believing that their appearance 
forebodes storms, with which they are in some way 
or other connected. That storms do frequently occur 
when, or soon after, these birds are seen, is certainly 
true; but the cause probably is, that, instinctively 
feeling the approach of a gale, they are disquieted, 
and are anxiously awaiting its arrival, and, there- 
fore, hover round the ship, which they imagine 
may shelter them from its fury: for, unlike the 
Albatross, or Gull, they seem to dislike the war of 
elements ; and to this dislike may probably be 
attributed the otherwise unaccountable circumstance 
of their being so often found even many miles inland. 
The fact might be doubted, but for numberless 
recorded instances ; for there is scarcely a county in 
England in which they have not been seen. 
In 1832, upwards of twenty instances occurred, 
and many of them in the midst of crowded towns: 
thus, after a series of tempestuous weather, one 
was captured, which had been seen flying up and 
down the streets of a populous town, about seven 
or eight feet above the ground, apparently much ex- 
hausted ; while others, after severe storms, were seen 
flying about the iron-furnaces at Low Moor, near 
VOL. II. R 
