WINTER QUARTERS, SCOTIA BAY, 1903 51 



When thi' penguins were bein^ put into a crate, they distinctly caught hold of the 

 liars with their flippers, which they entwined half round them for some moments : ><>ine 

 of them thus held on, supporting the whole weight of their bodies on their flipper-. I 

 saw a skua, the first one, I believe, seen this season in Scotia Bay. Pirie saw a black- 

 backed gull's nest, consisting chiefly of earthy matter, luiilt within ca-v distance of 

 the dirt's. 



Snowy petrels, nellies and paddies were also observed. A seal was seen in Uruguay 

 ( 'ove by Mr Bruce. 



Oct. 20t!t. Usual birds about. Nothing fresh zoologically. 



Oct. 21*t. Mr Bruce and Ken- paid a visit to the penguin rookery t> take a 

 cinematograph view of the birds. Brown came back from a walk with a dead Wilson's 

 petrel, and Pirie with a baby seal's skull, which he found near Delta Island. He report-; 

 having seen the white gull, and also terns, which he thought he heard two or three davs 

 ago for the first time this season. The captain saw a skua. Several snowies, nellies. 

 including a white one, and black-backed gulls about. Two Weddell seals arc reported 

 to have been seen on the floe near Delta Island, a male and female together, court- 

 ing ; the male appeared to be bitten in several places. Many seals were also seen by 

 Pirie off Delta Island, also some black-backed gulls' nests near Point Davis which were 

 made of earthy matter, lichens and mosses, penguin feathers and limpet shells. 



Oct. 22nd. Davidson went with a party to secure two seals for museum specimens. 

 They got a couple of Weddell seals off Delta Island, a male and a female, and saw 

 many others. The male was of no use for a skin, as it was badly scarred, besides having 

 its lower jaw broken. The males are evidently fighting amongst themselves, and this 

 appears to be their rutting season. A female with its young was also secured in 

 Uruguay Cove. A tern, snowies, black-backed gulls, nellies and penguins were 

 also seen. 



Oct. 23r<l. Cape pigeons, snowies, black-backed gulls, a skua and nellies were 

 seen about the ship. The latter flew ijuite dose to the ship, and alighted on the 

 midden-heap, where there is some seal's blubber and meat. They also damaged a very 

 handsomely marked skin of a young Weddell seal, which Pirie had shot in Uruguay 

 Cove, by picking off the skin about the eyes. 



Oct. '2-it/i. Brown went to the near penguin rookery to look for eggs : he did 

 not find any, however, though a careful search was made. The young seal which was 

 captured two days ago has escaped. Paddies, skuas, black-backed null- and nellies have 

 been reported to-day. 



net. 25tli. A skua and two paddies were shot to-day. Black-kicked gulls and 

 nellies have also been seen. .Murray said that he saw Cape pigeon-' nests on the difls 

 on the North Beach. 



Oct. 2M/i. Two terns were shot by Pirie off p.iint Davis. About six -kua-. a- 

 well as several gulls and nellies, were seen. 1'addics have returned to the -hip: they 

 are also present amount the penguins on the rookeries NO penguin- c^- yet. 



