10 :Mr. R. Hall on the 



inches, with a depth of 4 inches. Broken bones and eggs 

 are 'scattered around it^ but not in any ornamental way. The 

 young are without spots in the fledgeling stage. They are 

 early taught to leave the nest on signs of danger, when they 

 will crouch in the grass a few yards away. In this stage 

 they are brownish grey, with black bill and slate-coloured 

 legs. When the young are nearly as large as the parents, 

 and are ready to learn to fly, they exercise their legs by 

 jumping directly upwards a few inches, with wings expanded 

 against the wind, and this anric is accompanied by a jerky, 

 continuous, and plaintive high note. Most of the nests 

 contained young birds by New Year's day. One nest was 

 supported by a whaler's wooden tomb-memorial on Grave 

 Island, Royal Sound. I did not notice any yellow on the 

 nape and neck of the young, indicative of a connection with 

 the M. maccormicki of the Antarctic region proper. 



Larus dominicanus Licht. ; Saunders, Cat. B. xxv, p. 245. 



Royal Sound is the principal haunt of the Southern Black- 

 backed Gull, and no other harbour here compares with it 

 for numbers. 1 say this after visiting the most important 

 shelters on the east and south-east coasts, where we found 

 this Gull far from plentiful. The killing of seals soon 

 affords a sure indication of the relative abundance of this 

 species, as at this season the birds of each fjord keep to 

 themselves. I think they fear to venture far out in the 

 open, for they are not very strong on the wing, and when 

 a storm arises they invariably Hoat on the water, keeping 

 within the kelp, which grows a mile out from the beaches. 

 In this way hundreds may be seen, riding-out a gale. 

 For variety of position the bird will stand for some time 

 upon the kelp, and to do this it does not fold its wings 

 for a while, but, like a boat under sail, it will incline for- 

 ward, until a sure footing on the weed is obtained. It 

 maintains the usual reputation of the sea-bird for clamour, 

 aud the clear echo of its calls may be heard resounding from 

 the heavy basalt cliffs of Murray Island. 



The young croucli on the rocks for evasion when a human 

 being passes, and the whole flock call from above as if they 



