^'"'igif"^^] Murphy, Birds of the South Atlantic. 443 



hauling the smaller species down from the air as animated kites 

 after they had pounced upon the trailing baits and had started to 

 fly off with them. Altogether the following thirteen species of 

 Tubinares were about, and most of them might be seen at a single 

 glance : — Diomedea exulans, Diomeded melanophrys, Thalassogeron 

 chlororhynchiis, Phoehetria palpehrata, Macronectes giganteus, Puffinus 

 puffinus, J^strelata incerta, Priofinus cinercus, PetreUa capensis, 

 HaloboBiia coerulea, Procellaria CBquinoctialis, Fregetta grallaria, 

 Oceanites ocemiicus. In 'The Ibis,' April, 1914, p. 318, I have 

 published a photograph which includes nine of these species. 

 Specimens of Diomedea exulans, Puffinus puffinus, Procellaria 

 aequinodialis, and PetreUa capensis, in addition to the Macronectes 

 mentioned above, were captured. Next to the Oceanites the 

 'Mutton-birds' {Mstrelata incerta) were present in greatest num- 

 bers. The 'Cape Hens' (P. oequinoctialis) were very aggressive, 

 driving off Mstrelata, Puffinus, PetreUa, Oceanites, etc., and yielding 

 to Macronectes and Diomedea exulans only after a struggle. Both 

 Procellaria oequinoctialis and Puffinus puffinus dived well below the 

 surface in pursuit of the baits. The former birds squealed loudly 

 when caught, and defended themselves actively with their sharp, 

 dangerous claws. I saw one aberrant example of this species with 

 a white superciliary stripe and a white patch on the crown. At 

 nightfall we saw large flocks of the 'Cape Hens' settling on the 

 water. 



A great many individuals of Diomedea exulans were seen at close 

 range on this day, and I noticed that all were characterized by a 

 pinkish stain on the feathers in the region of the ear. The Sooty 

 Albatrosses {Phorbefria palpehrata) were unique among the species 

 which followed us in that they seemed to pay no attention to the 

 trailing fishlines. 



The bait taken so eagerly by most of the birds was the fat and 

 meat of a Loggerhead Turtle (Thalassochelys) which had been 

 harpooned from the bow. The birds ignored pork fat as long as 

 there was turtle meat. After seeing captives drawn on board the 

 Daisy before their eyes, the}' were just as eager to bite as before. 

 They seemed to learn nothing from experience. Even birds which 

 had escaped from one hook, after having been hauled part way in, 

 promptly snapped up another. 



