KERGUELENS LAND. 



209 



described by Darwin in his Journal.* This bird is to be seen 

 on the surface of the water in Koyal Sound when the water is 

 calm, in flocks of very large numbers. On two days in which 

 excursions were made in the steam pinnace, the water was seen 

 to be covered with these birds in flocks, extending over acres, 

 which were black with them. The habits of the northern Little 

 Auk are said to be closely similar to those of this bird ; so close 

 is the resemblance, that the whalers have transferred one of 

 their familiar names for the Little Auk to the Diving Petrel. The 

 diving petrels dive with extreme rapidity, and when frightened, 

 get up and flutter along close to the water, and drop and dive 

 again. It is a curious sight to see a whole flock thus taking 

 flight. The birds make holes in the ground like the Prions, and 

 lay an egg white with a few red specks at one end. They breed 

 in enormous quantities on the islands in Eoyal Sound. They 

 are readily attracted by a light, and some were caught on board 

 through coming to the ship's lights. 



On one of the digging excursions I found a nest of the 

 Sheath-bill (Chionis minor), and subsequently found several 

 others. The bird has a wide 

 range, corresponding to that 

 of the Kerguelen cabbage, 

 occurring like it in the 

 Prince Edward Islands, the 

 Crozets and Heard Is- 

 lands. Another species of 

 the genus occurs in Pata- 

 gonia. It resembles the 

 Kerguelen species closely in 

 general appearance, though 

 differing in many essential 

 points. A figure of it is 

 here given in default of one 

 of the Kerguelen bird. It micrht however almost stand for this 

 latter. The birds (the " Paddy " of the sealers) are present 

 everywhere on the coast, and from their extreme tameness and 



v O^' — -. 



SHEATH-BILL OF FUEGIA. CHIONIS ALBA. 



* " Journal of Eesearclies/ ; p. 290. 



