IQ03 



III. H r, 



Kevieius. 



Reviews. 



NATURAL HISTORY OF ANTARCTICA. 



["Report on the Collections of Natural History made in the Antarctic Regions 

 during the Voyage of the Southern Cross." Printed by order of the Trustees, British 

 Museum (Natural History), Cromwell-road, S.W. 1902.] 



The great home Museum, in its usual classical style, has issued 

 a bulky report, including 53 plates, results of the work of the 

 scientific collectors of the Southern Cross Expedition, which was 

 fitted out by Sir George Newnes, Bart. 



It will be remembered that the expedition was in charge of 

 Mr. Borchgrevink, and that it spent the winter of 1899 on Vic- 

 toria Land. Mr. Nicolai Nanson, the zoologist, most unfortunately 

 for the enterprise, died in October, 1899, but Mr. Hugh Evans 

 (previously known to Australians in having been associated with 

 Mr. H. Gunderson and Mr. Robert Hall in the trip of the Edward 

 to Kerguelen in 1897) carried on the collecting as best he could. 



Part IV. of the book deals with the Aves, and has been written 

 by Dr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., &c, also an hon. member of the 

 Aust. O.U. The letterpress has a complement of four beautifully 

 coloured plates (Gronvold — West, Newman) of birds and eggs, 

 besides many half-tone blocks (by the permission of Sir G. Newnes 

 and Messrs. Hurst and Blackett) of birds amongst the ice. Dr. 

 Sharpe was somewhat handicapped by the " unexpected absence 

 of official note-book," which appeared to have been lost, but he 

 has culled interesting field observations from MSS. in possession 

 of Mrs. Nanson, wife of the deceased zoologist. 



The following birds which are more particularly Australian 

 are mentioned, viz. : — Yellow-webbed Storm Petrel (Oceanites 

 oceanicus), found breeding on Victoria Land ; Black-bellied 

 Storm-Petrel (Fregetta melanogaster), Brown Petrel {Priofmus 

 cinereus), Silvery-grey Petrel (Priocella glacialoides), Spectacled 

 Petrel (Majaqueus cequinoctialis), Soft-plumaged Petrel (CEstre- 

 lata mollis), Giant Petrel (Ossi/raga gigantea), Cape Petrel 

 {Daption capensis). Banks Dove-Petrel {Prion banksi). Several 

 Albatrosses are noted, but they were mostly seen in the open sea, 

 not within the pack-ice. It is interesting to find that a new Tern 

 has been recorded for the New Zealand region — namely, Sterna 

 vittata — which was procured at Campbell Island. 



The most conspicuous birds, however, in Victoria Land are its 

 Penguins. A number of Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), 

 the largest known, standing 4 feet in height, were captured, but 

 unfortunately their breeding place was not discovered ; while near 

 the headquarters camp the smaller Adelia Penguins {Pygoscelis 

 adelice) were breeding in vast rookeries, the photographs taken 

 by Mr. Bernacchi being reminiscent of the great Penguin rookeries 

 of " Kings " and " Royals " on Macquarie Island. The figure of 

 Pygoscelis adelia? is here reproduced from plate vii. In life the 

 bird wears a light bluish coat, with pure white breast ; bill crimson 

 and black ; feet flesh-coloured. ; height, 2+ feet. 



