STORM-PETREL.
PR O CELLARIA PELÁGICA, Linn.
Procellaria pelágica, Linn. S. N. i. p. 212 (1766) ; Yarr.
ed. 4, iv. p. 42.
Tlialassidroma pelágica, Nairn, x. p. 557; Macg. v. p. 460;
Hewitson, ii. p. 517 ; Dresser, viii. p. 491.
Thalassidrome tempête, French; Sturm-Schivalbe,German;
Diablo de mar, Pastorcito, Spanish.
This little bird is one of those with which I have
very little more than a travelling acquaintance. My
own oceanic experience is confined to a few trips across
the Bay of Biscay en route to and from Spain ; but on
these trips I never failed to observe some of the present
species ; no matter what the weather might be, there
was " Mother Carey's Chicken " equally at home
amongst the Atlantic " rollers " driven before a westerly
gale, or skimming the calm surface of the sea in the
full blaze of an August sun. I have also frequently
seen one or two of this species off our southern coasts
in July and August, as we were " hooking " for whiting
from the deck of my yacht ; but with the exceptions
of some half-dozen that played round our vessel as she