82 EDWARD A. WILSON. 



about a week, when it began to dwindle, and on November 12th, on our turning 

 to go south, the birds left us altogether. 



On our homeward voyage we saw one example of this bird on March 10th, 1904, 

 in 58° S. lat., 164° E. long., and a large number from time to time between New 

 Zealand and Cape Horn in June. But their numbers diminished as we neared South 

 America, and we saw the last on June 24th. In the South Atlantic we saw it 

 occasionally in numbers between July 23rd and 29th, when it finally disappeared. It 

 ranges all over the Southern oceans, from 35° S. to the Antarctic Circle. 



THALASSCECA ANTAECTICA. 



The Antarctic Petrel. 



Procellaria antarctica, Gmel., Syst. Nat. i. (1788), p. 565. 



Thalassceca antarctica, Coues, Pro. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 1866, pp. 31, 192 ; Sharpe, Rep. ' Southern 



Cross' Coll. (1902), p. 143, ibiqiK citata ; Eagle Clarke, Bii-ds of S. Orkney Islands, Ibis, Jan., 1906, 



p. 169. 



Material in the ' Discoybey's ' Collection. 



No. 7, ad. sk. ^ , March 2, 1904. Off the Balleny Isles. Moulting. Shows a mixture of hght 



and dark feathers. 

 No. 8, ad. sk. ? , Jan. 11, 1902. Off Cape Adare. 

 No. 9, ad. sk. ^ , March 2, 1904. Off the Balleny Isles. Newly moulted. Shows in rich 



contrast the pure white and dark chocolate brown. 

 No. 10, ad. sk. <? , Jan. 11, 1902. Off Cape Adare. 

 No. 129, ad. sk. ? , Nov. IG, 1901. Pack ice. 61° 46' S. 140^^ 12' E. 

 Nos. 163, 164, 165, ad. skeletons from Cape Adare. 

 The colour of the soft parts is as follows : — 



Bill, blackish horn ; the cutting edge of the mandible lemon yellow. 



Iris, dark brown. 



Legs, toes and webs, pale fleshy grey. The knuckles in an old bird, e.c/., No. 9, are 



marked with darker shades. 

 Claws, blackish. 



Material in the ' Morning's ' Collection. 



No. 18. No label. 



No. 22, Dec. 25, 1903. Ice pack. North of Ross Sea. 



No. 24, $ , Dec. 25, 1903. Ice pack. North of Ross Sea. 



No. 4. No label. 



No. 4, 9, Dec. 25, 1903. Ice pack. North of Ross Sea. The chin and throat unusually 



white and devoid of the usual brown. 

 No. 34. Skeleton. Dec. 25, 1903. Ice pack. North of Ross Sea. 



The breeding place of the Antarctic Petrel is still unknown. The bird seems to have 

 been strangely scarce in the South Orkney Islands, though the Scottish Expedition 

 obtained specimens in the Weddell Sea. Its range and distribution also aj)pear to be 



