1 82 kerguelen's land. 



Sheath-bill {Chioiiis minor), and subsequently found several 

 others. The bird has a wide range, corresponding to that of 

 the Kerguelen cabbage, occurring like it in the Prince Edward 

 Islands, the Crozets and Heard Islands. Another species of 

 the genus occurs in Patagonia. It resembles the Kerguelen 

 species closely in general appearance, though differing in many 

 essential points. A figure of it is given on p. i8i in default of 

 one of the Kerguelen bird. It might however almost stand for 

 this latter. The birds (the " Paddy " of the sealers) are present 

 everywhere on the coast, and from their extreme tameness and 

 inquisitive habits, are always attracting one's attention. A pair 

 or two of them always forms part of any view on the coast. 

 The birds are pure white, about the size of a very large pigeon, 

 but with the appearance rather of a fowl. They have light 

 pink-coloured legs, with partial webbing of the toes, small 

 spurs on the inner side of the wings, like the Spur-winged 

 Plover, and a black bill with a most curious curved lamina 

 of horny matter projecting over the nostrils. Round the eye 

 is a tumid pink ring bare of feathers ; about the head are 

 wattle-like warts. 



The birds have been examined anatomically by De Blain- 

 ville,* who concluded that they are nearly related to the Oyster- 

 catchers. The birds nest under fallen rocks along the cliffs, 

 often in places where the nest is difficult of access. The nest 

 is made of grass and bents, and the eggs are usually two 

 in number, of the shape of those of the Plovers, and of a 

 somewhat similar colouring, spotted dark red and brown. 

 They have been described and figured by Gould, and he con- 

 siders the eggs to show further alliance of the Sheath-bills to 

 the Plovers. I found two nests with three eggs, but two is the 

 most usual number. 



The young are black on coming from the egg, following the 

 usual law with white birds, the white colouring being a lately 

 acquired peculiarity. The young one has the nostrils wide 

 open, and merely a tumidity about the posterior margin of the 

 nostrils and across the beak where the sheath is commencing 

 to grow out. 



Anyone sitting down on the rocks where there are pairs of 

 Sheath-bills about, soon has them round him, uttering a harsh, 

 half warning, half inquisitive cry on first seeing one, and 

 venturing gradually nearer and nearer, standing and gazing up 

 at the intruder with their heads turned on one side. The 

 birds come frequently within reach of a stick, and can often be 



* "Voyage de la Boni'tc," Zoologie, Tom. I., p. 107 ; PL Oiss. IX. 

 The anatomy of the Sheath-bills has been further lately made the 

 subject of a memoir bj' Dr. Kidder. " Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus.," No. 3. 



