494 Mr. P. L. Sclater on the 



made of small roots and branches ; the interior lining consists 

 of regularly crossed dry bamboo-leaves. The walls of the 

 central cavity especially are very well made^ and consist of 

 crossed bamboo-leaves woven in a really artistic manner. 

 The sagittal diameter of the nest is 13"5 cm.^ the transverse 

 12*5 cm. The entrance-aperture has a diameter of 3*5 cm. 

 The thickness of the walls is everywhere less than 3 cm. 



Thus Lochmias nematura is fully re-establislied as an archi- 

 tect by no means inferior to Furnarius. There is a striking 

 resemblance between the shape and. dimensions of the Oven- 

 bird's nest (of which I gave a detailed description and several 

 figures in 1886*) and that of Lochmias, and the simple com- 

 parison of the two nests would lead us to believe in the con- 

 sanguinity of their builders, somewhat endangered by Euler's 

 statements. The difference of the material is of no import- 

 ance, and we may very well define the loam-nest of Furnarius 

 as an over-ground nest of Lochmias, or the leaf-woven nest 

 of Lochmias as a subterranean building of Furnariits. 



Coloiiia Alpina, Theresopolis, Rio de Janeiro. 

 April, 1894. 



XLV. — Remarks on the Birds of Antarctica. 

 By P. L. Sclater, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S. 



The earnest advocacy of a new ''Antarctic Expedition" by 

 Dr. John Murray t and his many supporters, and the successful 

 voyage of the ''Dundee whalers" to the Antarctic seas in 

 1892-93, have awakened a new interest in the fauna of the 

 Antarctic Continent, concerning the ornithology of which I 

 propose to off'er a few remarks. 



It is much to be regretted that most of the specimens of 

 birds obtained during the voyage of the " Dundee whalers " 

 were brought home not properly labelled and dated, and, more- 

 over, that many of them have passed into private hands. So 

 far as I know, only two of these skins have reached the 



* " Der Lelmiliaus ( Joao de barro), ein brasilianisclier Nestkllnstler.'' 

 ' Der zoologische Garten,' xxvii. p. 265 (1886). 



t See " The Renewal of Arctic Exploration." By John Miirra}', Ph.D. 

 (reori'r. Jonrn., January 1894. 



