220 



AMONGST THE SOUTHERN ICE. 



petrel {Ossifraga gigantea), Majaquens (Fquinoctialis and the 

 Cape pigeon'. These birds all left us when we entered the 

 edge of the pack-ice, they appear to remain at its very margin ; 

 but in the ice we met with a Skua {^Skrcorarhis antaniiciis), 

 which bird ranges very far south, and was seen in Possession 

 Island within the Antarctic Circle by Ross. 



Penguins were common at the edge of the ice. They pro- 

 gressed through the water like Rock-hoppers, and probably 

 were the Eudyptes Adeliie of Ross's Expedition, since they 

 had black heads ; we could not catch any, though we tried to 

 get some which were on an ice-block ; they seemed shy. 



We seldom saw birds on the icebergs, but a flock of Cape 

 pigeons was sometimes seen roosting on the top of one. The 

 Great White Albatross {Diomedea exulans) accompanied the 

 ship only about 500 miles south of Heard Island, stopping at 

 more than 200 miles from the edge of the pack. 



The Cape pigeon left us when we were in about the 

 latitude of Kerguelen's Land, on our return from the ice 

 northwards to Australia, and in exchange for it we fell in with 

 a petrel like the Mutton-bird, which bird had not accompanied 

 us south. We also met at the same time with a second species 

 of albatross (Z>. inelanophrys ?). 



The last iceberg was seen by us on March 4th, in about the 

 latitude of Heard Island. On March 9th, the South Australian 

 current began to make itself felt, and the air became warm 

 and pleasant. We gave up fires, and the sea being calm, were 

 able for the first time since leaving Kerguelen's Land to take 

 out our scuttles and air our cabins. On March 12th, we were 

 within the westerly winds, and we had more albatrosses round 

 the ship than we had ever had before ; the Gony and JD. 

 ■inelanophrys. 



Appended are the summaries of the temperatures of the air 

 during the months of January and February, observed in the 

 Antarctic regions on board H.M. ships "Erebus" and 



Means of Temperatures observed on board H.M. ships "Erebus" and 

 "Terror," in January, 1841, 1842, 1843, on 93 days. Between lat. 

 64° and 78° S., long. 53° to 58° W. and 155° to 168° E. 



Hence general mean for the month, 30°- 155. 



