154 Southern Cross. 



"The Giant Petrel {Ossifraga gigantea), which approaches the 

 larger species of Albatros in size, was observed by Dr. McCormick 

 soaring over Possession Island, Victoria Land, and the ' Belgica' found 

 it a constant attendant in the ice-pack. The ' Nelly,' as sealers 

 call it, is, in fact, the Vulture of the sea, visiting every spot where 

 carcases and refuse of Seals and Penguins, or any other means of 

 subsistence, can be found. Its breeding and habits on Marion and 

 Kerguelen Islands have been described by Moseley and others, and 

 the bird probably nests on Heard Island ; Webster found it on 

 Deception Island, South Shetlands, from January to March ; and, 

 as regards South Georgia, where the eggs are laid in the beginning 

 of November, the practical Weddell remarks that these are inferior in 

 taste to those of other species. The beak of this voracious bird is 

 very powerful, and assertions have often been made by sailors that 

 it will attack a drowning man and accelerate his death. Dr. 

 McCormick states that when, after leaving Kerguelen, the boatswain 

 of the ' Erchus ' fell overboard and could not be saved, the Giant 

 Petrels swooped at him as he struggled to keep afloat, and it is 

 doubtful if they did not actually strike liim with their bills ; while 

 Mr. Arthur G. Guillemard states that a sailor, who was picked up, 

 had his arms badly lacerated in defending his head from the attacks 

 of an ' Albatros,' which may well have been this Giant Petrel." 



The first specimen recorded by Mr. Hanson was on October 

 30th, 1898 {antca, p. 82), when the ' Southern Cross ' was nearing tlie 

 Crozet Islands, and the species was again observed as the ship 

 approached Tasmania, being noticed nearly every day. On December 

 28th, when nearing the ice-pack, the Ossifraga is again recorded 

 {antea, p. 83), and it was seen on several occasions in the ice in 

 January {antea, pp. 86, 90). On the 26th, Mr. Hanson writes : 

 " Saw some Giant Petrels. These birds must have a very keen sense 

 of sight or smell, for no sooner is a Seal skinned on the ice than they 

 put in an appearance " {antea, p. 90). When the ' Southern Cross ' was 

 retracing its steps after its long imprisonment in the ice, he remarks 

 (p. 93), under date of February 11th : " Of birds, I have seen all my 

 old acquaintances of the ice-pack, except the Penguins and Giant 

 Petrels." The latter species, hoM^ever, reappeared when the ship was 

 hove to off Victoria Land, on the 16th and 17th of February {antca, 

 p. 93). By the 7th of March it was getting scarcer near Cape Adare, 

 and was only to be found singly {antea, p. 94), but he captured two 

 specimens in the middle of March {antea, p. 94), and the last one 

 recorded was seen on the 31st of that month {antea, p. 96). 



Mr. Bernacchi (p. 316) says that during the summer the Giant 



