No. 7. — Notes on some Vnlkland Isand Birds. 

 By W. Sprague Brooks. 



The following notes are based upon a collection of birds made 

 during the J. C. Phillips expedition to the Falkland Islands. 



A description of the islands and their almost intolerable climate 

 seems unnecessary as these ha^■e been well cared for b,\' other writers. 



As travelling facilities render it impossible to accomplish one's aims 

 in a single season, the list of species is by no means full, and the breed- 

 ing notes very meagre. 



Besides some weeks at Port Stanley, a month was spent at San 

 Carlos, East Falkland, and two months at Port Stephens, West Falk- 

 land. 



The vernacular names in quotation are those used by the colonists. 



It seems a matter of no great time when a number of the species 

 antagonistic to sheep culture will become very rare, perhaps extermi- 

 nated. 



I am very grateful to Dr. John C. Phillips for permission to study 

 the collection and to Mr. Outram Bangs of the Museum of Compara- 

 tive Zoology for kindly assistance. 



PoDiCEPS ROLLANDi Quoy & Gaimard. 

 " Golden Grebe." 



This beautiful grebe is fairly common I was lead to believe, but 

 during the summer its distribution is quite local as it breeds in ponds 

 of varying size not far from the sea. In winter, it, like other grebes, 

 is to be found on salt water generally near the shore. 



With the exception of a pair noted on December 2, 1915, at Egg 

 Harbour, East Falkland, the only others seen were nine adults and two 

 downy young on a pond some thirty acres in extent lying close to the 

 sea at San Carlos, East Falkland. Like most birds of the Falklands 

 they were singularly tame, the pair with the young swimming across 

 the pond to within a few feet of me show^ing the greatest curiosity as 

 I, unaware that the species existed there, sat at the margin of the 

 pond. 



