98 Mr. E. L. Lavard on the Sea-birds observed 



fouled the line, which twisted in their wings and thus rendered 

 them helpless. As soon as one was entangled it fell in the water, 

 and the rest immediately clustered round it, as the sailors de- 

 clared, for the purpose of eating their wounded comrade. 



Procellaria gigantea and Diomedea melanophrys took the hook 

 freely when we were not going through the water. None of 

 these birds that I skinned exhibited the usual fatness of sea- 

 fowl, and the ovaries were not in the least enlarged. I thought 

 tTie breeding season had not begun ; but H. E. Sir G. Grey consi- 

 dered that they had passed it, and were feeding their young, 

 which would account for their lean condition. Doubtless they 

 all breed on the islands hereabouts — St. Paul's, Amsterdam, 

 Kerguelen's Land, &c. ; but it must be very cold work, for 

 though we are now in what may be called the spring, still we 

 have very severe weather and frequent storms of hail, snow and 

 sleet. 



Lat. 42° S., long. 85° E. — This morning a large bird of a deep- 

 brown colour hovered once or twice round the ship, I at first 

 thought, from its heavy flapping flight and rounded wing, that 

 it was a land-bird, but it suddenly pursued some of the Petrels 

 with the unmistakeable flight of the Lestris. It then settled on 

 the water far astern, and presently rose again and went away out 

 of sight westward (towards the islands). I conjectured it must 

 have been the Lestris antarcticus, which I see, according to 

 Dieff'enbach, is found in New Zealand ; and on describing it 

 to H. E. Sir G. Grey, he agreed with me. Being the 1st of 

 September to-day, it ought to have been Perdix cinerea ! 



There is also to-day a black or deep-brown bird occasionally 

 about, which must be a Puffinus, judging from the falcate wing 

 and the general appearance when compared with other Pro- 

 cellariidcE. 



Lat. 43° S., long. U07° E.— The small blue Petrel {Prion 

 vittatus ?) is very abundant here, but never comes near the shij). 

 This species may be known by the W-like mark on the back 

 when the wings are extended in flight. 



Lat. 44° S., long. 138° E.— Birds in sight to-^ay—Dapt . 

 capensis, Proc. mollis, P. glacialis (one specimen). Prion vitta- 

 tus (?), Proc. gigantea, Diom. exulans (young), D. chlororhyncha, 



