STORMY PETREL. 
165 
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 thing’s, 
to dissipate the clouds of error and superstition where- 
ever they begin to darken and bewilder the human 
understanding, and to illustrate nature with the radi- 
ance 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 various 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 domes- 
ticated. The woodpeckers, the snow-birds, the swal- 
lows, are all observed to be uncommonly busy before a 
storm, searching for food with great eagerness, as if 
anxious to provide for the privations of the coming 
tempest. The common ducks and the geese are infal- 
libly 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 pre- 
pares for the issue ; but he is not so ridiculously absurd 
as to suppose, that the storm which follows is produced 
by the agency of these feeble creatures, who are them- 
selves equal sufferers by its effects with man. He looks 
on them rather as useful monitors, who, from the deli- 
cacy of their organs, and a perception superior to his 
