194 Transactions. — Zoology. 



hundred in less than twenty minutes, all proceeding north- 

 ward, going with the wind and flying high. I observed about 

 half a dozen going in an opposite direction and against the 

 wind, and these kept very near to the surface, where, owing 

 to the waves, the resistance would be less felt. As we reached 

 Table Bay, about 9 p.m., a perfect storm came over the moun- 

 tain, and we had to cast anchor in the offing and wait for it to 

 abate. Was it the instinctive knowledge of the approaching 

 gale that made all the Gannets hurry northward for shelter in 

 the afternoon ? On Wednesday night the whole sea was 

 aflame with phosphoric light ; last night and to-night it was 

 black as ink. This may be due to sudden changes of tempera- 

 ture in the water. 



17th February. — At 9 o'clock last night we anchored 

 outside the breakwater. It was blowing a hurricane, and, 

 although we were fully two miles from the shore, while on 

 deck our eyes were punished with the fine wind-boi-ne dust. 

 The gale subsided during the night, and at 6 a.m. we moved 

 in to the usual anchorage. The bay was alive with the com- 

 mon Seagull and a species of Shag {Phalacrocorax capensis). 

 I w^as interested in watching the fishing operations of the 

 latter. When it dives it springs bodily out of the water and 

 goes down head foremost. I timed the dive with my watch. 

 It generally lasted from a minute to a minute and a half, but 

 in one instance the bird remained under water a second be- 

 yond two minutes ! During the forenoon one of these Shags 

 settled in a boat hanging iw our davits, and suffered one of 

 the sailors to capture it without offering any resistance. I 

 handled it afterwards and found it quite docile, but it was in 

 very poor condition, and probably out of health. 



18th February. — On leaving the Cape of Good Hope yes- 

 terday, before a strong head wind, and again to-day, we have 

 been attended by two or three Mollyhawks {Diomedca vielano- 

 2)hri/s) and a large greyish-brown Petrel which is unfamiliar 

 to me. In the afternoon we saw a pair of Storm Petrels, 

 greyish-brown with white underparts — probably Pclagodroma 

 marina. 



19th February. — The same birds reappeared in the morn- 

 ing ; and in the afternoon a small whale came up to within a 

 mile of the ship, plunging and spouting. Then he took alarm 

 and disappeared in the depths of the ocean, not even ventur- 

 ing up to spout. 



20th February. — During the morning a large white Petrel, 

 evidently CEstrclata glacicdoidcs , appeared several times, but 

 never very near to the ship. About 10 a.m. I saw the first 

 Wandering Albatros {Diomedca exulans), a fine adult bird 

 in full plumage. 



21st February.— Lat. 43° 20' S., long. 41° 14' E. Several 



