444 Murphy, Birds of the South Atlantic. [oct 



November 5, lat. 35° S., long. 46° 55' W. Continuation of the 

 rough weather; southeast wind. Tubinares abundant, but the 

 'Cape Hens' were so extremely aggressive about the baits that 

 we could catch members of no other species. Petrella capensis and 

 Phoebetria palpebrata were with us in increased numbers, and a 

 second species of 'Mutton-bird,' ^strelata mollis, was represented 

 by a single individual. 



On November 6 there were heavy rains and driving mists all day, 

 and we could see few birds from the vessel. 



November 7, lat. 35° 40' S., long. 46° 35' W. Brisk westerly 

 winds, clear. JEstrelata mollis fairly common. One individual of 

 Priofinus cinereus followed us steadily all day. One of Fregetta 

 grallaria was observed continuall\' among the Oceanites. 



November 8, lat. 36° 16' S., long. 46° 35' W. High northwesterly 

 winds. One of Fregetta grallaria seen with Oceanites all day. 

 ' Cape Pigeons ' (Petrella) were abundant, and four or five of them 

 repeatedly dropped to the water under our lee quarter, rising and 

 overtaking us again after w^e had drawn away a few hundred yards. 

 They ran like albatrosses, that is foot after foot along the surface 

 when launching into flight. They followed a trailing bait by setting 

 their wangs as gliders, keeping the breast just an inch or so above the 

 sea, and propelling themselves with rapid, alternating strokes of 

 their feet. In this manner they sometimes covered long distances 

 without an apparent beat of the wings. They were very noisy and 

 quarrelsome while feeding. We caught two, which regurgitated 

 quantities of lard-like fat. 



The flocks of Oceanites oceanicus occasionally became much 

 excited over the trailing bait, although they invariably disregarded 

 it until after some other species had started the general scramble. 

 On the evening of this day they (Oceanites) gathered in a cloud, to 

 the number of a hundred or more, and tugged at the bits of pork fat 

 until forced away by the larger birds. The Giant Petrels (Macro- 

 nectes) were their worst enemies. These pot-bellied, vulturine 

 creatures actually swam or flew out of their way in order to snap 

 their bills at the smaller birds. 



November 9, lat. 36° 46' S., long. 46° 29' W. It became calmer 

 today. At five o'clock in the afternoon I lowered the dory, and 

 during the next hour collected 36 birds. One was a tern (Sterna 



