. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . soconsidered by them as a delicacy, and the bird is there-fore in great request at St. Kilda. When a whale is taken,these birds will, in defiance of all endeavours, light uponit, and pick out large lumps of fat, even while it is alive. THE STORMY PETREL Is about the size of a house swallow. The general colour of the plumage is black, except about the rump, which is white. Stormy Petrels have been seen in flocks which have been est
. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . soconsidered by them as a delicacy, and the bird is there-fore in great request at St. Kilda. When a whale is taken,these birds will, in defiance of all endeavours, light uponit, and pick out large lumps of fat, even while it is alive. THE STORMY PETREL Is about the size of a house swallow. The general colour of the plumage is black, except about the rump, which is white. Stormy Petrels have been seen in flocks which have been estimated to contain at least a hundred 23* 258 THE STORMY PETREL. and fifty millions of them. They are always to be foundon the shores of Britain, and seem to be diffused all overthe world. They sometimes hover over the water likeswallows, and sometimes appear to run on the top of it:they are also excellent divers. It skims along the hollowsof the waves, and through the spray upon their tops, at theastonishing rate of sixty miles in an hour. They are veryclamorous, and are called by the sailors Mother GarysChickens, who observe they never settle or sit upon the. water but when stormy weather is to be expected. Theyare found in most parts of the world ; and in the Feroeislands the inhabitants draw a wick through the body ofthe bird, from the mouth to the rump, which serves themas a candle, being fed by the vast proportion of oil whichthis little animal contains. This oil it is supposed to col-lect from the ocean by means of the feathers on its are about twenty species of foreign birds of thiskind. In the high southern latitude e is found whichis the size of a goose, and on that account called the GiantPetrel. The upper parts of its plumage are pale brown,mottled with dusky white ; the under parts are white. THE SKUA GULT,. There is another species in Norfolk Island, which bur-rows in the sand like a rabbit. THE SKUA GULL.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidbookoforni, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1832
