106 NATURAL SCIENCE. Feb., 



sent thirteen skins, which had been presented to the Museum of the 

 Dundee University, to Dr. Sclater, who has contributed a short 

 paper to the Ibis on the subject (7). They consisted of eleven species 

 with "no original dates or localities attached to them, but are nearly 

 all of birds that may well occur in the ' Antarctic Seas,' " none of them 

 are new species. Quoting Dr. Donald's paper in the Scottish 

 Geographical Magazine for February, 1894, Dr. Sclater states that 20 

 species in all were met with, and calls particular attention to two 

 birds mentioned by Dr. Donald. The first was a " Hooded Crow," 

 which appeared to resemble closely the " ordinary Carrion Crow " ; 

 this was seen on three occasions, twice picking " at a dead seal on 

 the shore and the third time on the wing." The second bird referred 

 to was a " black and white Duck." Of these Dr. Sclater says, if the 

 former were really a Corvine bird it will probably be a new species, 

 as no such bird is known in Arctic America, and the latter may be a 

 species of Bemicla. Of course the most interesting birds, and at the 

 same time by far the most numerous, were the penguins and petrels. 

 Of the habits of the former Dr. Donald gives some very interesting 

 particulars in another paper (6). He mentions the difficulty he 

 experienced in killing these large birds, a difficulty also experienced 

 by Ross, and it may be well to mention for the benefit of future 

 explorers that the latter found a " tablespoonful of hydrocyanic acid 

 accomplished the purpose in less than a minute" (Voyage II., p. 158). 

 Capt. Larsen states that at Cape Seymour he saw " a species of land- 

 bird, belonging to the Rapaces, which resembles our hawk ; it 

 occasionally came down and pecked some eggs." 



Botany seems to have been totally neglected. Capt. Larsen, 

 who appears to be a very intelligent observer, incidentally remarks that 

 on one of the islands where the snow was blown away " the soil was 

 covered with moss." A fucus I think, is also mentioned somewhere; 

 and the sea and ice were in places stained by diatoms. Doubtless 

 more trained observers would have found other signs of vegetable 

 life ; but in this respect as in others the country must have been a 

 complete contrast to the corresponding regions of the North, where 

 the soil left bare by the retreating snow speedily bursts forth into a 

 garden bright with beautiful flowers. Nor is the absence of animal 

 life less remarkable : where are the Musk Ox, the Fox, Arctic 

 Lemming, Reindeer, Bears, and Walrus, White Whales and 

 Narwhals, some of which are found as far north as man has 

 penetrated, and which afford sustenance to a race of hardy native 

 hunters all round the pole ? At the antipodes the species are few 

 if the individuals are numerous, and man is conspicuous by his 

 absence. 



There is much yet to be learnt with regard to the Antarctic 

 regions, and it will only be accomplished by trained observers, men 

 who know what to look for, what is worth collecting, and what condi- 

 tions must be observed to render their collections of service to the 



