522 Transactions. — 3IisceUa-ncoi(s. 



Bounty Islands are gi^anite. The other tlii'ee groups are recent 

 volcanic, but at Campbell Island the floor of the ocean — an 

 ancient limestone-bed— has been lifted up, and appears in the 

 face of a cliff. At the Auckland Islands an immense dyke of 

 dark rock, cutting the high cliffs of the west coast from the 

 summit to the sea, was visible for miles, and some singular 

 dykes were observed crossing each other, but covered with 

 tussock grass, at Adam's Island. These should be examined, 

 but are not likely to give any valuable result. I saw no stra- 

 tified rocks in the group, though I am aware that others have 

 fancied they found them. Most of the plants are doing well 

 in good moist soil in shaded positions in my garden. 



Captain Fairchild, under date 15th February, 1891, writes, 

 on his return from the second cruise in search of traces of the 

 s.s. " Kakauui," as follows : " I find that the Auckland Islands 

 albatros is quite a different buxl from those we saw at Camp- 

 bell Island. Those we saw on the Auckland Islands and 

 the Antipodes have dark heads and blue eyelids, while those 

 on Campbell Island have pure white heads with dark eyelids, 

 and are a larger bird, being about 71b. heavier than either the 

 Auckland Islands or Antipodes birds. We have some on 

 board now, and I was anxious for you to see them ; they are 

 so different when you sec them together. All the birds on the 

 islands were more numerous this year than they were when 

 you were at the islands. We went up after albatros-eggs at 

 the same place, where you were up at the Auckland Islands, 

 and we got two hundred eggs on about 5 acres. It was 

 marvellous to see them ; they were within a few feet of each 

 other, all sitting on their eggs." 



I have compared the eggs in my possession. Two from 

 Campbell Island measure respectively 5yVi^- '^y ^in. and 

 5^in. by S^in. They are more elongated towards the small 

 end and rounder and blunter at that end than those from the 

 Auckland Islands. A large number from the Auckland 

 Islands run from 4ifin. by S^Viii- up to 53*gin. by Sin. 

 Nearly all, however, are about 4i|in. by Sin. A few are as 

 much as 5in. long, and a very few exceed Sin. in the shorter 

 axis. I must still say that the whole subject requires more 

 attention than can be given to it on a hurried visit. 



