THE BIRDS OF SOUTH GEORGIA 585 



season. It is a shore bird, frequenting the beaches and penguin rookeries. It is ex- 

 tremely tame and has so little fear of man that, with a little care, the birds can be 

 caught in the hand. 



The Sheathbill is omnivorous ; a green alga that grows on the rocks that are uncovered 

 each tide forms a large item in its diet, especially in winter. Small moUusca and 

 Crustacea are also taken, as is carrion of any sort. The birds frequent the elephant seal 

 rookeries when the pups are born and feed on the placentas. They also sit about in 

 the penguin rookeries and eat any eggs that are left uncovered so that they can steal 

 them. They have also been seen to steal the eggs of the Giant Petrel. 



The nest is built in November in holes in the rocks and under boulders, two or 

 three feet in, and is made of tussac, moss and feathers. The eggs are laid in the following 

 month; they are buff with black pencillings all over them and are two or three in 

 number. The young are hatched in January. They are clothed in a brown and black 

 mottled down; the bill is dark brown and the legs are greyish brown. The iris is dark 

 brown and there is a bare area on the face below the eye, but the wattles are not de- 

 veloped. The nestlings live in the nest hole until they are nearly fully fledged and can 

 run about actively. 



When not feeding, the Sheathbills are often to be seen sitting motionless on the rocks. 

 They stand on one foot and hold the body very erect, keeping quite still for many 

 minutes on end. They then run forward for a short distance with quick steps and sit 

 motionless again. When feeding on the beach they walk about with a bobbing motion 

 of the head, and look much like pigeons. The flight is like that of a pigeon and the 

 shape of the wings, when flying, is reminiscent of a gallinaceous bird. If they are 

 winged Sheathbills will take to the water and swim well. They have a harsh call note. 



The adult has the bill black at the tip, shading through ochre and green to blue-grey 

 at the base. The wattles, which are larger in the male, are pinkish or yellowish white, 

 and the iris is brown (Plate XLVII, figs. 8 and 9). The legs are grey and the toes and 

 claws are black. 



Anthus antarcticus, Cab. 

 Antarctic Pipit 



The Antarctic Pipit, confined to South Georgia, is common on the low ground near 

 the coast all round the island and does not migrate. It lives much on the seashore, 

 and round the streams and freshwater pools further inland: in winter it is confined 

 to the beach. It feeds on small insects, Crustacea and mollusca. 



The nest is built of dry tussac stems in November, among the tussac or in crevices 

 of the rocks. The egg is described as dull grey-green thickly speckled with dirty red- 

 brown streaks and flecks. Neither the eggs nor nestlings were seen by the writer, the 

 only nesting places found being in inaccessible crevices of the cliff^s. The young leave 

 the nest at the end of December when they are fledged, but still have some few tufts 

 of down adhering to the head, and have short stumpy tails. They can then fend for 

 themselves and hop about on the beach feeding with their parents. 



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