THE AUK: 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF 

 ORNITHOLOGY. 



Vol. XXXI. October, 1914. No. 4. 



OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 



BY ROBERT CUSHMAN MURPHY. 



Plates XXXV-XXXIX. 



During 1912-1913 the writer made a voyage in the New Bedford 

 whaling brig Daisy for the purpose of conducting field work at the 

 island of South Georgia. The birds collected on the expedition 

 number upwards of five hundred specimens, which are the property 

 of the Brookl;yTi Museum and the American Museum of Natural 

 History. The task of working up this collection is one which will 

 require considerable time owing to the present dearth of material 

 for comparison, and pending reports on the taxonomy and life 

 histories of the South Georgia birds it has been thought ad^^sable 

 to publish an account in narrative form of the species observed at 

 sea between the Equator and the subantarctic island which was 

 the objective point of the expedition. 



The Daisy crossed the Line in longitude 28° W., on October 14, 

 1912. October 16 was spent ashore at the island of Fernando 

 Noronha, which was the last land sighted until November 23, when 

 we arrived at South Georgia in latitude 55° S. 



October 17, lat. 5° 21' S., long. 32° 44' W. Strong southerly winds. 

 A small flock of 'Mother Carey's Chickens' Oceanites oceanicus 

 (also observed in the North Atlantic) followed us in a rather desul- 

 tory fashion. They did not approach near to the stern of the brig. 

 These birds seem to gain confidence with numbers, for when large 

 flocks follow they usually fly very close. 



" OCT » 1914 



