The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-12-16
The Stormy Petrol.

Who would think, on inspecting speci-
men of the well-known Stormy Petrel
| { (4halassidroma peldgicd, that it was able
to dig into the ground, and form the bur-
row in which it makes its nest? Such,
however, is the case, and the pretty little
traverser of the ocean shows itself to be as
accomplished in excavating the ground as
it is in fitting over the waves with its curl
GUS mixture of fight and running IF the
Stormy Petrol can find a burrow already
dug, it will make use of it, and accordingly
is fond of haunting rocky coasts, and of
depositing its eggs in some suitable cleft.
1t also will settle in deserted rabbit-bur-
low, if it can find one sufficient near the sea,
and is found breeding in many places which
would equally suit the. putin.
Failing, however, all natural or ready
made cavities, the Stormy Petrol is obliged
to excavate a tunnel for itself, and even on
sandy ground is able to make its own DOM
icil. Off Cape Sable, in Nova Scotia, there
are many low.lying islands, the upper parts
of which are of sandy nature, and the
lower composed chiefly of mud Not hope
is there in such localities of already existing
cavities, and yet to those islands the Petrels
resort by thousands, for the purpose of
breeding. The birds set resolutely to work
and delve little burrows into the sandy soil,
seldom digging deeper than foot, and, in
fact, only making the cavity sufficiently large
to conceal themselves and their treasure.
Each bird lays single egg, which is
white, and of small dimensions, The young
are funuy-looking objects, and resemble
puffs of white down rather than nestlings.
The parent attends to its young with great
assiduity, feeding it with the oleaginous
fluid which is secreted in such quantities
by the digestive organs of this bird. So
large indeed is the amount of oil, that in
some parts of the world the natives make
the Stormy Petrol into lamp, by the SIM
pie process of drawing wick through its
body. The oil soon rises into the wick, and
burns as freely as in any of the really rude
and primitive, ornamental lamps of the an
clients. Z. ..... ....,..-. ....#T
The Petrol feeds its young only by night
remaining on the wing during the day, and
iying to vast distances from the land. Owing
to this habit, and its custom of taking to
the sea during the fercest storms, it has
long been an object of dread to sailors,
whose illogical minds are unable to discrim-
mate between cause and effect, and fancy
that the Petrol, or Mother Carey's Chicken,
as they call the bird, is the being which,
by the exercise of some magic art, calls the
storm into existence. They even fancy
that the Petrol never goes ashore nor rests;
and will tell you that it does not lay its egg
in the ground, but holds it under one wing,
and matches it while engaged in flight To
the vulgar mind everything incomprehen-
sible is fraught with terrors, and so the
harmless, and even useful Petrol, is hated
with strange virulence. ..... ...-.. d
Throughout the breeding season, the
Petrol is indefatigable in search Of food,
and will follow ships for considerable dis
tances, in hopes of obtaining some OF the
offal hat is thrown overheard by the cook.
Even if cupful of oil be emptied into the
water, the Petrol will scoop it up in its bill,
and take it home to its young. During the
night it mostly remains with its offspring,
feeding it, and making curious grunting
noise, something like the croaking of frogs.
This noise is continued throughout the
night, and those who have visited the great
nesting places of the Petrol unite in men
tioning it as loud and peculiar sound.
The ordinary cry is low and short, some
thing like the quacking of a young duck.
By day, however, the birds are silent, and
only those who keep nightly watch on the
ships desk can have an opportunity OF
hearing their chattering cry.
The burrow in which the young Petrol
is hatched is extremely odoriferous, the oily
food on which the bird lives having itself
very rancid and unsavory scent; and In
consequence of feeding upon this substance,
both the habitation and the inmates are ex-
tremely offensive to the nostrils. The young
bird is at first very helpless, and remains in
its excavated home until it is several weeks