CROZET ISLANDS. 181 



sealers), soaring about the tops of the cliffs and probably nesting 

 there. This bird is continually to be seen about cliffs and 

 higher mountain slopes, and seems never to nest low down like 

 the Mollymauk and Gony. 



In holes in the banks at this elevation, a Prion was ex- 

 tremely abundant, but it was also pretty abundant down about 

 sea level. Its peculiar angry cry, somewhat like the snarling 

 of a puppy, uttered as it hears footsteps about its hole, is very 

 puzzling at first as one listens to it, coming up from the ground at 

 one's feet, but is unmistakable and quite unlike the cry of any 

 other of the Procellaridce, which we met with ; I see however 

 that Mr. Eaton in his notes, as cited by Mr. E. B. Sharpe, says : 

 " that the cry of the petrel Halabcena ccerulea is exactly similar 

 to that of the Prion." We dug out a bird with its egg. 



I saw a hole with ears of grass dragged into it, and like a 

 mouse's. It is not unlikely that there is a mouse in the island, 

 as at Kerguelen ; in Goodridge's time mice were so abundant on 

 St. Paul's Island, that he speaks of feeding hogs, which he kept 

 in confinement, on them. They were found lying in heaps in a 

 dormant state in the early mornings (1. c, p. 65). A Curculio and 

 two Staphylinidw were found by Von Suhm on the island, and 

 also a small land shell which was common. A fly with rudi- 

 mentary wings was also found by him, apparently the same 

 as one of those at Kerguelen's Land {Amaloj)Uryx maritima). 

 No land bird was met with, and no duck was seen, though one 

 species of duck is so abundant at Kerguelen's Land. 



crozet islands, Jan. 2nd, 18*4. — We ran on towards the 

 Crozet Islands, before the westerly winds, and after lying about 

 close to this group in a dense fog, which prevented our sighting- 

 it and landing on Hog Island as we had intended, the fog at 

 last lifted slightly on the evening of Jan. 2nd. 



We ran in between Possession Island and East Island, as 

 Ross had done thirty years before. As we steamed towards the 

 land, the coast of Possession Island could just be discerned 

 under a dense fog bank, the white breakers being plainly 

 visible. The fog lifting a little more, a long range of cliffs could 

 be seen ; the tops of these, however, were still hid, together with 

 all the higher portion of the island, in the densest fog. The fog 



