THE STORMY PETREL.

(Thalassidroma Wilsonii.)

The mariner curseth the warning bird,

Who bringeth him news of the storms unheard."-PROCTER.

S it not strange that any one should ever feel vexed with a friend who gives him timely warning of danger at hand? Yet in this ungrateful world people are to be seen looking quite unkindly on those who wisely advise them to prepare to meet approaching trouble.

Do you not remember how once, in olden time, a bad king put a good prophet in prison, because he thus told him the

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truth? I really believe that poor little bird called the Stormy Petrel is disliked by sailors for much the same reason. am sure it is quite innocent of raising a storm, which seamen are foolish enough to accuse it of doing. But this small "Mother Carey's chicken" (as it is commonly called) has a wonderful gift of foreseeing a tempest, long before the sailor hears the first whisper of the rising gale.

These petrels flock together in restless, noisy numbers before the storm approaches, rending the air with piercing cries, as if anxious to give timely notice of danger to the crews of the vessels near. Those who have watched them closely, declare it is not love but fear of the tempest which sends them hovering round ships in search of shelter from its rage. And this terror of storms may account for these birds. having frequently been found many miles

inland after rough weather. They have actually been captured in busy towns, flying, almost exhausted, near the ground, up and down crowded streets.

The stormy petrel is about half a foot in length; and in general appearance it somewhat resembles our chimney-swallow, although its feet, of course, are webbed. Its bill is hooked at the tip, and its plumage is of bluish blackness. The back near the tail is white, and there are also some white feathers in the sides of the tail. It is met with on all parts of the ocean; and is often seen following ships for miles, for morsels of fat or grease that may be thrown from them. It skims the angry waves on expanded wings, at times appearing to run over the raging billows.

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I have been told that the name of " rel" was given to it because of its walking the waves as the Apostle Peter did.

There are other and larger sea-birds of this kind, one called the fulmar, found in great numbers among the islands of the Hebrides; and the great black petrel of the Southern Indian Ocean. This lastnamed bird is said to be constantly searching for the stormy petrel-to destroy it, for the sake of its heart and liver, which it seems to consider great delicacies. The rest of its victim it leaves untouched. On this account, Mother Carey's persecuted chickens are said only to venture out by night in that region. Still, on shores where the black petrel does not molest them, fishermen tell us these stormbirds may be seen coming forth in the twilight like bats, to skim the water in search of the small sea-animals on which they subsist.

The bodies of petrels are so saturated with oil that the inhabitants of the Heb

rides actually make them into lamps ! They thread a rush through the body, which they bring out at the bill, and this will burn as well as a candle. It is said that if a large petrel is shot at sea, the billows into which it falls will grow calm, from the great quantity of oil it throws up. Ah, it is a happy thing to be able to throw "oil on troubled waters," though not exactly as the petrel does it. "Soft answers" to people of wrathful tempers have always a calming effect, and by giving them we bring down from Heaven the blessing promised to the peace-makers.

The stormy petrels build in the clefts of rocks or on ledges of precipices, and lay usually two eggs in their nests. They are rarely seen at sea in the daytime, unless storms are impending. Then, when " they that do business in great waters mount up to the heaven and go