THE IBIS. 



No. XIV. APRIL 1862. 



XIII. — Notes on the Sea-birds observed during a Voyage in the 

 Antarctic Ocean. By E. L. Layard, Corr. Memb. Z.S.L., 

 Secretary to the S. African Museum^ Cape-town. 



We left Cape-town on the 15th August, in H.M.S. ' Cossack.' 

 As soon as we cleared the bay, I noted Daption capensis, Procel- 

 laria cequinoctialis, Diomedea melanophrys, and a little blue Petrel, 

 which I take to be Prion vittatus. This last never came within 

 100 or 150 yards of the vessel during the whole voyage (for we 

 frequently saw them), but skimmed about among the waves, ge- 

 nerally in the trough of the sea, which was at times very rough. 

 I never saw it alight on the water, as did Daption capensis and 

 Procellaria mollis, which joined us before we lost sight of land. 

 ProceUaria (equinoctialis left us on the second day (lat. 37° S,, 

 long. 22° E.)*, and we saw no more of it. It was replaced by 

 Proc. gigantea in lat. 41° S., long. 46° E. In its company arrived 

 Diomedea fuliginosa (the Black Albatros), from which it is easily 

 distinguished by its flesh-coloured bill and more rounded tail, 

 whereas D. fuliginosa has a black bill and a cuneiform tail. 



In these latitudes we were also joined by D. chlororhyncha in 

 abundance, D. melanophrys still sticking to us, and by a single 

 specimen of D. exulans in the brown plumage of the first year. 

 Prion vittatus (?) and Daption capensis were also with us, the latter 

 being abundant. We caught very many with strong thread, by 

 letting it trail astern with a cork at the end of it. The birds 



* All the latitudes and longitudes given refer to our position at noon of 

 each day, 



VOL. IV. H 



