REPORT ON THE BIRDS— ATLANTIC ISLANDS, KERGUELEN, ETC. 113 



itself. 1 Sir C. Wyville Thomson tells us (Atlantic, vol. ii. p. 178) that this Finch " builds 

 in the bushes, and lays four or five eggs very like those of the common Canary." 



A third land bird, which still exists on Tristan da Cunha, though no specimens were 

 obtained by the Challenger Expedition, is Gull inula nesiotis, mihi (Proc. Zool. Soc, 

 1861, p. 261, pi. xxx.). The " Island-hen," as the inhabitants call it, lives on the higher 

 plateau of the island, and is " scarcely able to fly." 



From Sir Wyville Thomson's Atlantic (vol. ii. p. 185) we learn that there is also an 

 " Island-hen " on Inaccessible Island of a different species, and one on Gough Island, 

 which however may be Gallinula nesiotis. 2 Sir Wyville says : — 



" Inaccessible, like Tristan, has its ' Island-hen,' and it is one of my few regrets that 

 we found it impossible to get a specimen of it. It is probably a Gallinula, but it is 

 certainly a different species from the Tristan bird. It is only about a fourth the size, 

 and it seems to be markedly different in appearance. The Stoltenhoffs were very 

 familiar wuth it, and described it as being exactly like a black chicken two days old, the 

 legs and beak black, the beak long and slender, the head small, the wings short and soft 

 and useless for flight. It is common on the plateau, and runs like a partridge among 

 the long grass and ferns, feeding upon insects and seeds." 



The oceanic birds of the Cunha group, of which specimens were obtained by the 

 naturalists of the Challenger, consist (as will be seen in the subsequent chapters) of three 

 Terns (Sterna vittata, Anous stolidus, and Anous melanogenys), a Skua (Stercorarius 

 antarcticus) , one Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome), and two Petrels (Pelagodroma marina, 

 and QZstrelata mollis). Besides these the Giant Petrel (Ossifraga gigantea) and three 

 species of Albatross (Diomedea) are spoken of by Sir C. Wyville Thomson. 3 



C. KERGUELEN ISLAND (January 1874). 



The only land-birds from Kerguelen Island in the collection are nine specimens of 

 Chionis minor and seven of Querquedula eatoni; and these are the only land-birds 

 included by Mr Sharpe in his memoir published in the Royal Society's volume on 

 the Transit Expedition of 1875. 



The female of the Querquedula (of which there is one example determined as such, 

 and two others, evidently of the same sex) differs from the male not only in the absence 

 of the green alar speculum, but also in its smaller size, in the fuscous edgings to the 

 feathers generally, and in the much shorter tail. There is also one chick of this species 

 in the collection. 



From Mr Moseley's Notes I extract the subjoined interesting account of this bird : — 



" Teal were shot in great numbers by our party. The Teal of Kerguelen Island 

 (Querquedula eatoni) is peculiar to the island and the Crozets. 



1 Moseley, op. cit., p. 122. 2 Wyville Thomson, Atlantic, vol. ii. p. 184. 3 Ibid., vol. ii. pp. 183, 184. 



(ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. — PART VIII. 1880.) II 1 •"> 



