STORMY PETREL. 
169 
inspection, they proved to be a vegetable substance, 
evidently the seeds of some marine plant, and about as 
large as mustard seed. The stomach of one contained 
a fish, half digested, so large that I should have sup- 
posed it too bulky for the bird to swallow ; another 
was filled with the tallow which I had thrown over- 
board, and all had quantities of the seeds already men- 
tioned both in their stomachs and gizzards ; in the 
latter were also numerous minute pieces of barnacle 
shells. On a comparison of the seeds above mentioned 
with those of the gulf-weed , so common and abundant 
in this part of the ocean, they were found to be the 
same. Thus it appears, that these seeds, floating 
perhaps a little below the surface, and the barnacles 
with which ships’ bottoms usually abound, being both 
occasionally thrown up to the surface by the action of 
the vessel through the water in blowing weather, 
entice these birds to follow in the ship’s wake at such 
times, and not, as some have imagined, merely to seek 
shelter from the storm, the greatest violence of which 
they seem to disregard. There is also the greasy dish 
washings, and other oily substances thrown over by 
the cook, on which they feed with avidity, but with 
great good nature, their manners being so gentle, that 
I never observed the slightest appearance of quarrelling 
or dispute among them. 
One circumstance is worthy of being noticed, and 
shews the vast range they take over the ocean : In 
firing at these birds a quill-feather was broken in each 
wing of an individual, and hung fluttering in the wind, 
which rendered it so conspicuous among the rest as to 
be known to all on board. This bird, notwithstanding 
its inconvenience, continued with us for nearly a week, 
during which we sailed a distance of more than four 
hundred miles to the north. Flocks continued to 
follow us until near Sandy Hook. 
The length of time these birds remain on wing is 
no less surprising. As soon as it was light enough in 
the morning to perceive them, they were found roaming 
about as usual ; and I have often sat in the evening, in 
