STORMY PETREL. 
519 
over the surface I could hear them under my feet, very 
distinctly singing in a sort of warbling chatter, a good 
deal like swallows when fluttering above our chimney- 
tops, but somewhat harsher; by listening attentively, I 
was guided to their retreat, and after throwing out stones, 
as large as I could lift, on all sides of me, seldom failed 
in finding two or three of them seated on their nests 
either under the lowest stone, if partly raised above the 
surface, or between two of them. The nests, though of 
much the same materials as the ground on which they 
were placed, seemed to have been made with care: they 
were of small bits of stalks of plants, and pieces of hard 
dry earth. Like the rest of the genus, the Stormy Petrel 
lays invariably one egg only. During the day-time the 
Petrels remain within their holes ; and though the fisher¬ 
men are constantly passing over their heads,—the beach 
under which they breed being appropriated to the drying 
of fish,—they are then seldom heard, but towards night 
become extremely garrulous, and when most other birds 
are gone to rest, issue forth, spreading themselves far 
over the surface of the sea: the fishermen then meet 
with them in great numbers, and though they had not 
previously seen one, are sure to be surrounded by them 
upon throwing pieces of fish overboard. This is very 
opposite to Wilson's opinion, who says, that “ they return 
to feed their young only during the night ; in the day 
they are silent and wander widely over the ocean.” The 
males may possibly be abroad during the day, whilst the 
females are sitting; but I am inclined to think that they 
rarely come out before night, as the fishermen never see 
them at any other time. 
