Vol. xix.-| Maccilt.tvr.w, Notes on Sea-Birds. 167 



Brown Petrel {Prio/iniis cincrciis), and one Cape Hen (P. cvqiii- 



noctiaiis). ,,••,, 



On the 31st May we were ncamng the coast, and birds became 

 more- numerous. Prions flew over tlie surface of the sea singly 

 or in small companies, Cape Hens and Gannets increased, many 

 Black-browed Albatrosses (7'. mclanophrys) following in the wake 

 of tlic vessel and settling whenever food was thrown out. The 

 few Wandering Albatrosses were all dark birds, the head bemg 

 dirty white, all rest of upper surface brownish-grey, under surface 

 lighter grey except the primaries, which were dark brown or 

 black; the bill was whitish. 



Early on the morning of the 6th June, with Table Mountain 

 in sight 60 miles away, many Mollymawks {T. vtelanophrys), a 

 few Wandering Albatrosses {D. exnlans), several Cape Hens, and 

 numbers of Prions and Gannets were to be seen about the ship, 

 and one Yellow-webbed Storm-Petrel {Oceanites oceamcus). 

 Many Cormorants frequented the fishing-grounds at the mouth 

 of the bay, with numbers of Southern Black-backed Gulls— a 

 beautiful bird, as large as our Pacific Gull, with head, tail, rump, 

 and all under surface white, upper surface of wings and back 

 black bordered with white. There were also two smaller Gulls— 

 the (irey-headed and Hartlaub's. 



During our stay at Cape Town I paid a visit to the local museum, 

 met Dr. Peringuey, the Curator, and had a look at the bird 

 collection. A case that interested me greatly was filled with sea- 

 birds from Tristan d'Acunha, collected by a Mr. P. C. Keytel, who, 

 just before the war, spent 12 months on the island making notes, 

 taking photographs, and collecting skins and eggs of birds nesting 

 or occurring on Tristan and adjacent islands. Apart from a few 

 land-birds, he found the following birds breeding :— The Yellow- 

 nosed Mollymawk.— The mounted specimen has head and neck 

 white, washed with pale grey; black bill, with broad stripe of 

 yellow on the culmen going up to the base and continuous with 

 that on the unguis, and a yellow basal stripe only to the mandible. 

 Mr. Keytel found several immense nesting colonies of this species 

 on Tristan. The Sooty Albatross [Phocbetria fusca), the Broad- 

 billed Prion (Prion vittatiis), the Great-winged Petrel {Pterodroma 

 macroptera), Piifiniis gravis (this is the first authentic record of 

 the nesting of this bird, so long known in North Atlantic and 

 Arctic waters), the Southern Skua {Sfercorarius antarchcus), the 

 Noddy {AnoHS stolidus), Tern {Sterna virgata), and Crested Penguin 

 {Catarrhades chrysocome). The following species were also 

 obtained not breeding :— /). exulans, T. melanophrys, M. giganteus, 

 Petrclla capensis, Fregctta grallaria, Garrodia nereis, Fregctta 

 mclanogaster, Procellaria pelagica, Oceanites oceanicus, P. mollis, 

 Pii/Jiniis assimilis, P. mjuinoctialis, and three species of Grebes. 

 Specimens of Wandering Albatrosses [D. exulans) were obtained 

 exhibiting three stages of plumage— (a) very dark slaty-brown 

 all over, with whitish face ; {h) mottled brownish all over, with 

 lighter head ; (c) mature plumage, generally white, witli dark 



