172 Southern Cross. 



task was not easy ; one had to hang on with the tips of the fingers 

 to the rough rocks, or to hoist oneself by the force of one's wrists by 

 sticking the alpenstock into crevices. I was already a great height up, 

 when two of these Skuas began to interest themselves in my affairs. 

 They had made their nest on the top of the cliff, and there were two 

 little nestlings, covered in down, sitting quietly in the nest. The 

 father and mother, evidently believing that I wanted to carry off 

 their progeny, addressed themselves to the task of preventing my 

 upward climb. 



" With vigorous strokes of their wings, they threw themselves 

 upon me, and attempted to strike me with their wings and bills. 

 With my left hand gripping a point of rock, one foot resting on a 

 tiny excrescence and the other hanging in the air, I fenced with my 

 stock with all the force of my right arm, glancing all the time at 

 the beautiful bed of pebbles upon which I had the chance of 

 extending myself after a fall of thirty metres, and I vowed that 

 henceforth I wovild never part with my gun. A few well-directed 

 blows with my stock rid me for a few moments of my enraged 

 aggressors, and I was thus enabled to reach the platform and at last 

 secure the little plant I was in search of. My contest with the 

 Brown Skuas must not prevent my rendering justice to a brave 

 enemy, whom I recognise as the most courageous bird of the 

 Antarctic, the true representative of the Eagle among the birds ot 

 the ocean." 



Megalestfjs antargticus. 



Lestris antarctica, Less., Traite d'Orn., p. 616 (1881, Falkland Isl. ; New 

 Zealand) ; Gray in Dieffenb., Trav. N. Zeal., II., App., p. 200(1843): id. A^uy. 

 ' Erebm ' and ' Terror,^ p. 18 (1846). 



Stercorarius antareticus, Graj% List B. Biit. Mus. Anseies, p. 167 (18-44, 

 Campbell Isl.); Gigl. Faun. Vert. Oceano, p. 61 (1870); Sliarpc, Phil. Trans. 

 CLXAail. (extra vol.), p. 109, pi. 7, figs. 1, 2 (1879, Ruyal Sound and 

 Christmas Harbour, Kerguelen) ; McCormick, \'oy. Discovery, 1., p. 142, cum 

 tab. (1844, Campbell Isl.) ; BuUcr, B. N. Zeal., 2nd ed., p. 63 (1888). 



Megalestris antarctica, Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. XXV., p. 321,pl. I. (1826). 

 No. 18. Campbell Island, Oct. 20tli, 18U'J. {Caiit. Jensen). 



This species is much darker than M. maccormicki, and has an 

 extensive range over the islands of the Southern oceans, but does not 

 extend to the Antarctic ice-pack. 



