WINTER QUARTERS, SCOTIA BAY, 1903 57 



Xnr. \sf/i. I marked the new-laid egg- at the small rookerv. Eggs of the Nth 

 have all a second one beside them now; a few of the |3th al-o have. One 'jentoo is 

 sitting on four eggs, two of which I put into it- ne-t. 



The skuas are playing great havoc, particularly among the 'jentoo-. and manv ne-t- 

 have lost eggs since yesterday, .les.-ie Bay and rruguav Cove arc open ajaiu. and 

 man\' penguins are travelling to and fro between the water and the small rookerv. A 

 few ringed penguins about the Hoe. Three more terns' egg- were obtained near the big 

 rookery, and I got two gull.-' egg- at Point Davis. The gulls' ne-t- are of lichen and 

 mo.-.- on any Hat open rock; none of them were more than tweiitv feet above sea-level. 

 The egg is very like the tern's in colour and shape but browner, and some three to 

 four times as large. There was one egg in each nest. The gull- Hew awav on mv 

 approach and settled on a near snow-hill until I left. (XoTK. -Eggs were prohablv 

 obtained there yesterday by a member of the crew, which makes the date of gull'.- tir.-t 

 laying not later than Nov. 14th.) Terns are building at the same point, but have not 

 laid yet. (lull's egg, 3 inches by ](> inches, and 3 ounces in weight. 



Skuas very numerous, particularly near the ship and on the North Beach. A few 

 nellies also seen. Terns, snowies and paddies. 



Pirie found a paddy's nest near the big rookerv, but no egg.-. There are al-o ('ape 

 pigeons nesting there as well a- a pair of Wilson's petrels. Several young seals near 

 the big rookery and two adults at Point Davis. Two much scarred adult Li>l>nilnnx 



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seen near the big rookery. 



Xnr. Kith. A nelly shot at tin 1 house and several others -ecu during the dav. 

 Over twenty skuas at the ship and about eight black-backed gulls as well as several 

 paddies. Terns and snowy petrels also seen. Adelia. gentoo and ringed penguin- on 

 the Hoe, particularly gentoo. I visited the small rookery a- usual. Main of the 

 gentoo nest,- are almost snowed up except for the -pace kept clear by the heat of the 

 bird's body. Two or three nests more exposed than the other- are completely snowed 

 up, and the gentoos belonging to them are hoinelc-.-. 



The sledge sent to the camp with provision.- thi- morning returned with Cape 

 pigeons, snowy petrel- and ringed penguins for skeleton,-, and -ome specimen- from 

 Macdougall Bay and Brown's Bay, including a compound ascidian and a small crab. 



X<\ \7tli. Skuas in numbers, a few nellie- and gulls, and three or four paddie- 

 about the ship. A few tern- -ecu. (lot t\\o tern-' eggs bevond the big rookery ami 

 also a gull's egg which, however, was unfortunately broken. I visited the small 

 rookery and marked the new-laid egg'-. Birds who laid their first egg on the l:',th. and 

 most of those who did so on the 14th, have now a -ccond egg. Many empty egg-shell- 

 lying about tell the story of the skuas' raid-. At the big rookery I saw a skua swoop 

 down within three feet of me and seize an uncovered e-j and tly off with it. 

 He settled down s,,nie twenty yards off, put down the egg. cracked it with a bite and 

 sucked out the contents. .Meantime a second skua, probably hi.- mate, -at by and 

 looked on as if waiting her chance for a ta-tc. Paddie- too -ecu in various place- on 



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