THE SNOWY PETKEL. 



89 



antarctica) many times during our voyage home in the winter, when we were far to the 

 north of the outskirts of the ice, we never once saw the Snowy Petrel away from its 

 vicinity. It was abundant always in the pack ice, and it is there that the opportunity 

 must be taken, if a good series of skins for a collection is to be obtained. 



Our passage through the pack was unfortunately a rapid one, but from time to time 

 we were able to procure examples and to confirm, at any rate, the observations previously 

 made, that the measm-ements of this bird vary within large limits, irrespective of sex, 

 and apparently also of local distribution ; though it seemed to me that there was a 

 preponderance of the larger birds to the westward, where, unfortunately, we were not 

 able to do much collecting, and that in the pack ice along the shores by Cape North 

 and the Balleny Islands, the general build of all that we saw was bigger and stronger 

 In the British Museum Catalogue the following measurements are given : — 



Total lengfcli 



Wing... 



Tail 



Bill 



Tarsus 



Middle and outer toes 



Inner toe 



14-1 (i inches (or 3.5 '7-40 '7 cm.). 

 'J • 8-1 1 • 1 inches (or 24 ■ 9-25 • cm.). 

 4-:3-5-l inches (or 10-9-13-0 cm.). 

 1 •4-1" 55 inches (or 3 '0-3 '9 cm.). 

 1 • 3-1 • 5 inches (or 3 • 3-3 • 8 cm.). 

 1 • ()-l • 9 inches (or 4 • 1-4 • 8 cm.). 

 1 • 3-1 • 5 inches (or 3 • 3-3 • 8 cm.). 



" Specimens difi'er greatly in size as indicated in the above measurements." 



The variation in size is even greater than has hitherto been supposed The 

 largest example in the present collection was obtained in the Ross Sea pack ice, while 

 the smallest of all was obtained off Cape Adare ; their respective sizes may be seen 



from the following measurements 



Culmen 

 Wing 

 Mid toe 

 Total length 

 Tail 

 Tarsus 

 Inner toe ... 



' Morning.' — No. 15. ' Discovery.' — No. 17. 



2 • 6 cm. 1 • 8 cm. 



29 cm. 24-5 cm. 



5'5 cm. 4'1 cm. 



39-5 cm. 29-3 cm. 



15 "2 cm. 12 '5 cm. 



3-8 cm. 3-1 cm. 



3-8 cm. 3-2 cm. 



and between these two extremes every gradation may be observed. 



The following are measurements taken in the tlesh from two examples of the 



bird which were captured in Eobert.sou Bay 



{(i) Total length 



Total stretch tip to tip of wings 

 Girth at the shoulders 

 Bill from nasal feathers to tip 

 Bill from angle of mouth to tip 



(ft) Total length 



• Total stretch tip to tip of wings 



Girth at the shoulders 

 Bill from nasal feathers to tip 

 Bill from angle of mouth to tip 



/< 





