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THE STORMY PETREL; OR, MOTHER GARY'S 
CHICKEN. (Procellaria pelayica.) 
O'er the deep ! o'er the deep, 
Where the whale, and the shark, and the sword-fish sleep, 
Outflying the blast and the driving rain, 
The Petrel telleth her tale in vain ; 
For the mariner curseth the warning bird, 
Who bringeth him news of the storm unheard ! 
Oh ! thus does the prophet, of good or ill, 
Meet hate from creatures he serveth still ; 
Yet he ne'er falters : So, Petrel ! spring 
Once more o'er the waves on thy stormy wing ! 
PROCTOR. 
THE Stormy Petrel 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. Ranging over the expanse of the 
ocean, and frequently at a vast distance from the land, 
this bird is able to brave the utmost fury of the storms. 
Even in the most tempestuous weather it is frequently 
observed by the mariners skimming with almost incredible 
velocity along the billows of the waves, and sometimes 
over their summits. It often follows vessels, in great 
