° 1914 J Murphy, Birds of the South Atlantic. 447 



Only its sleek head and bristly tail projected above the surface. 

 It brayed again, and dived, but during the twilight of the next hour 

 shoals of these slippery, reptilian birds kept passing us, for we heard 

 their cries from all directions. The lookout at the masthead had 

 reported penguins se\'eral days previously, but these were the first 

 I had seen. 



November 16, lat. 44° 57' S., long. 39° 51' W. High southwesterly 

 and westerly winds; cold, squally. A rainbow was observed just 

 before sunset. A troop of Diomedea melanophrys and Thalasso- 

 geron culminatus made up our escort on this date. Competition 

 for food was becoming keen with them, and they dropped like 

 falling pillows from considerable heights, assuming the most ridicu- 

 lous attitude on the way down, whenever food was thrown from the 

 brig. At evening one of the melanophrys ' Mollymokes ' flew across 

 the cabin repeatedly, jerking up its head like a spirited steed, and 

 showing curiosity in its every action. 



.■Estrdata inccrta was represented by greater numbers than at 

 any time since November 9. At six o'clock in the afternoon there 

 was a short but furious southwest squall with rain, and it was a 

 beautiful exhibition to see the 'Whale-birds,' 'Mutton-birds,' 

 * Mollymokes ' and Giant Petrels (Macronedes) rise high in the air 

 and fly in the teeth of the wind. The giant petrels held their wings 

 more straightly and stiffly, that is more like the set planes of an air- 

 ship, than any of the other tube-nosed birds. 



November 17. Very cold, with a high wind from the southwest, 

 and a tremendous sea. Many changes of weather; at one time the 

 wind veered to the east. Sleet and hail fell occasionalh'. Birds 

 were with us all day, Procellaria cequinoctialis being conspicuous from 

 its numbers. 



November 18, lat. 48° 39' S., long. 36° 40' W. Barometer 29.2 

 inches at noon ; rising at sunset. Temperature 40° F. High south- 

 westerly gale all day, with several brief hailstorms. In the seeth- 

 ing combers we lay to under fore-staysail and trisail. Dark weather 

 alternated with bright sunshine. Spray broke over us continually, 

 but we shipped no heavy seas. 



One individual of Fregetta gmUaria was present all day with 

 hundreds of Oceanites occanicus. Prion hanksi was the most 

 abundant species. When these birds were flying high they turned 



