76 EDWARD A. WILSON. 



by others, aud by what can be seen iu the skins of that bird in the British Museum 

 collection. We had no opportunity of obtaining fresh examples of the young of 

 Megalestris antarctica, but from all accounts it would appear that the tone of the 

 downy plumage in maccormicH is much more bluish than it is in the nestlings of 

 antarctica, and it would be interesting to know whether the feet and legs and bill in 

 life show any corresponding divergence from the distinctly blue colour in McCormick's 

 nestlings (see Birds, Plate XIII. , Figs. 1 and 2). 



This is a point which can only be settled by reference to fresh specimens, for the 

 nestlings of McCormick's Skua which were brought home by the ' Southern Cross ' have 

 altered from bluish grey to the brownish tone they now possess, and no doubt the 

 skins of nestlings of Megalestris antarctica have altered in a similar manner. 



OCEANITES OCEANICUS, 



Wilsoris Petrel. 



Procellaria oceanica, Kuhl, Beitr., p. 136 (18'20), ex Banks' Icon., No. XII. 



Oceanites oceanicus, Sharpe, Phil. Trans., CLXVIIL, (1879), p. 132; id. Rep. 'Southern Cross' Coil. 



(1902), p. 139, ihique citala ; Eagle Clarke, Birds of South Orkney Ids., Ibis, Jan., 1906, p. 1G6, 



PI. X., fig. 2. 



Material in the ' Discovery's ' Collection. 



No. 90, ad. sk. $ , Jan. 9, 190i. Cape Adare. 



Shot at entrance to burrow, in which were Nos. 91 aud 92. 

 No. 91, ad. sk. $ , Jan. 9, 1902. Cape Adare. 



Caught on the nest with No. 92. 

 No. 92, ad. sk. ? , Jan. 9, 1902. Cape Adare. 



Caught on the nest with No. 91. 

 One egg, newly laid, Jan. 9, 1902. Cape Adare. 



Taken from the same nest as the above three birds. 



The colour of the soft parts is as follows : — 

 Bill, entirely black. 

 Iris, dark brown. 

 Legs and toes, black. 

 Webs, black at the free border and black also along the sides of the outer digits, but 



otherwise bright orange from the base of the first phalanges to a point level with the 



middle of the second phalanges. 

 Claws, black. 



Material in the ' Morning's ' Collection. 



No. 6, ad. sk. ^ , Nov. 25, 1902. 07 ' S, 179" E. 

 Also an adult skeleton. 



From IVIr. Howard Saunders I take the followino; notes as to the ranse of Wilson's 

 Storm Petrel : — 



It has been recorded from Louis Philippe Land ; from Deception Island in the 

 South Shetlands ; probably also from South Georgia, under the name Oceanites 

 melanogaster, by Steinen ; from Gerlache Strait by the ' Belgica,' and from Cape 



