440 MuRPHT, Birds of the South Atlantic. [oct. 



October 18, lat. 7° 07' S., long. 33° 04' W. Many of Oceanites 

 oceanicus and a single Fregetta grallaria followed all day. 



October 20, lat. 10° 21' S., long. 34° 04' W. Many of Oceanites 

 oceanicus followed, their numbers increasing up to the middle of the 

 afternoon, when they dwindled off again. Three jaegers {Ster- 

 corarius parasiticus) were noted. A pair of them tagged after us, 

 dropping repeatedly into the water and then rising again to pursue 

 the brig, from nine o'clock in the morning until four in the afternoon. 



October 21, lat. 12° 15' S., long. 33° 55' W. Wind veering to east- 

 ward, strong. With a rougher sea more of Oceanites oceanicus 

 followed; also they flew closer to the ship. 



October 24, lat. 17° 54' S., long. 33° 10' W. Wind northeast. 

 A shearwater, probably Puffinus puffinu^s, flew in our wake for a few 

 minutes about eight o'clock a. m. During the early forenoon we 

 saw few petrels {Oceanites oceanicus), and these kept well away from 

 our stern, but the numbers increased up to the middle of the after- 

 noon. When flying rapidly, and suddenly percei\ang food, they 

 sometimes stopped their headway by flopping down as though 

 wounded and striking their breasts upon the surface of the water. 

 Often as they pattered along for some distance on set, slightly 

 depressed wings, they resembled small scurrying quadrupeds more 

 than anything else. 



October 25, lat. 20° 11' S., long. 33° 35' W. We ran freely before a 

 north-northeast wind, furling the fore-and-aft mainsail during the 

 morning. The few petrels {Oceanites) seen did not follow in our 

 wake. 



October 26, lat. 21° 40' S., long. 34° 12' W. A dull morning after a 

 stormy night ; variable head winds during the day. The first skua 

 {Catharacta) was seen shortly before noon. It circled the brig 

 several times with swift, steady flight. At four o'clock another 

 skua was seen. I shot it as it rested on the water, lowered the dory 

 and secured it. I have identified it provisionally as the Falkland 

 Island race of the Antarctic Skua Catharacta antarctica falklandica 

 (Lonnberg). 



October 27. Two more individuals of Catharacta were seen 

 toward evening. 



October 28, lat. 23° S., long. 35° 45' W. We encountered cooler 

 weather and a heavy ground swell, indicative of storms to the 



