2 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



asked to give my views on animal life down south. As to whales, 

 we went to get right whales and did not find any. Do they exist ? 

 It is very difficult to say. We did not go as far down as Ross ; 

 still, in my oj^inion, Ross has mistaken finned whales for right 

 whales. The finned whale was seen in large numbers, spouting 

 about in all directions. It is very strong, and is the last of the 

 animal kingdom to be conquered by man — a conquest chiefly due 

 to the enterprise of the late Captain Svendfoyn, of Norway. We 

 did not have the proper appliances to catch them, but I have no 

 doubt that in the near future expeditions will be sent out to 

 secure them. We were not sorry to fall in with a small kind of 

 whale, also found in Norway, which affords a splendid meat. I 

 regard it as of great importance as food for the coming scientific 

 expedition. We met with five kinds of seals. One, which has 

 not previously been described, had absolutely no ears, inside or 

 outside. I regret very much that the skull, which I prepared, 

 was accidentally crushed. The seals had cuts and scars about 

 their skin resembling greatly the cuts given by the Polar Bear 

 in the north, so that old sealers concluded that there were bears 

 in the south too. I do not agree with Sir James Ross that these 

 wounds have been inflicted in battles amongst themselves, as 

 there are no scars about the head ; nor are they caused by 

 grampuses. I have no doubt that a large animal, hitherto un- 

 discovered, exists on the Antarctic Continent, and this may 

 explain the great scarcity of seals in these regions. 



" Of birds, we saw many of the White Petrel ; it is a sure sign 

 of ice. I was asked by members of this Club to observe how far 

 the Mutton Bird extended. It was only met with on our return 

 in latitude 54°. On Campbell Island the Albatrosses had young 

 at the time of our visit, but no eggs were to be found. While 

 shooting ducks, which were very numerous there, I secured also 

 several Godwits. We landed at Possession Island, which is 

 covered with myriads of Penguins. Near a conspicuous Cape, to 

 which we gave the name of Sir Ferdinand von Mueller, I was 

 fortunate in finding a lichen. This is the first recorded instance 

 of vegetation in such southern latitudes. Pdssibly the tempera- 

 ture of the island has changed since the time that Ross visited it. 

 I go to London immediately to ur^e the sending out of an ex- 

 pedition. I will offer myself for the land party, for which my 

 ability in the use of the Norweigan snow shoe will be of great 

 assistance." 



On behalf of the members, the Chairman thanked Mr. 

 Borchgrevink for his address, and remarked that when we re- 

 member that there were absolutely no conveniences for collecting, 

 and that Mr. Borchgrevink had practically to go before the mast 

 in order not to miss the opportunity, it must be admitted that far 

 more had been done than could have been expected. 



