Hand-book to the birds of Great Britain

Description:

Identifier: handbooktobirdso04shar (find matches)
Title: Hand-book to the birds of Great Britain
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Sharpe, Richard Bowdler, 1847-1909
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain
Publisher: London, Allen
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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one into the hole to passthe day; and in one hole there was an egg, but no bird. Wenever found more than one bird on the nest, and only a singleegg is laid. Some nests are larger than others, but in one holethe egg was laid on the bare ground. The holes vary con-siderably in depth (from two to four or five feet), and areburrowed in a precisely similar manner to those of the Puffin.The holes are made in the soft peaty soil, and it is very easy tounearth the nest. Sometimes the hole has two entrances, andthen it is necessary to stop one end up to prevent the birdfrom escaping. These holes, which are inhabited by Petrels,usually have a little dry grass at the entrance. Many nests areplaced together, an underground colony in fact, and we foundhalf a dozen nests within a radius of eight or nine yards. Oneof the birds which we caught, I let go again to w^atch its flight.It flew about for a few^ moments in a very erratic manner, asif dazed by the light, and then darted up and down, and flev/
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MADEIRA STORM PETREL. 143 round and round with rapid beats of its long wings, very muchHke a Swallow or a Swift. We finally lost sight of it as it flewbehind a large stack of rock and went out to sea. This bird,during its sojourn in St. Kildaat any rate, is almost exclusivelynocturnal in its habits, and keeps close to its hole during theday. The egg is incubated by both parents, for I took maleand female birds from the nests; but, as previously stated, Inever met with two birds in the same hole. Most of the nineeggs I obtained were quite fresh^ but three of them were slightlyincubated. When I dissected the Petrels we caught, I foundthe stomachs to contain an oily substance mixed with little bitsof sorrel. Nest.—Of dry grass, with round stalks and dry blades, with ascrap or two of moss, and a few bits of lichen and roots(Dixon). Eggs.—One. Dull white, widi a zone of minute dots ofvery pale lilac round one end, in rare instances the spotsbeing spread over the entire surface. Axis, 1

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