Birch of Antarctica. 497 



white about the breast and under surface of the Avings. It 

 somewhat resembled a Duck seen at the Falkland Islands/^ 



As regards the " Crow/^ if it is really a Corvine bird, it 

 will probably be of a new species, as no such bird is known 

 in Antarctic America. The "Duck" might be Bernicla 

 magellanica or B. antarctica, or an allied species. 



Dismissing the claims of the Corvidie and Anatidse to 

 figure iu tlie .Vntarctic avifauna until further evidence be 

 obtained, we find representatives of only four families yet 

 positively ascertained to belong to the Antarctic ornis : these 

 are Chionididaj, Laridse, Procellariidse, and Spheniscidse, 

 though it is probable that Cormorants (Plialacrocoracidse) 

 may also occur there. 



I. CniONIDlDiE. 



Dr. Donald speaks of Chionis alba as seen on the Ant- 

 arctic ice, and there is a specimen in his collection. It occurs 

 in the Falklands, Tierra del Fuego, and Soutb Georgia*. 



II. Lauid.e. 



The Gulls of the Antarctic coasts are Larus dominicanus 

 and L. scoreshyi, of which specimens were brought back. 

 Both are South- American species. There may probably be 

 others. 



The only Tern in the collection is Sterna hirundinacea. 



The only Skua represented in Dr. Donald's collection is 

 Stercorarius antarcticns, but INIr. Howard Saunders has 

 recently described a new species, Stercorarius maccormicki 

 (above, p. 291), from Possession Island, Victoria Land, so that 

 there are two Skuas in Antarctica. 



III. Procellariid.e. 



Dr. Donald speaks of seven species of Petrels being found 

 on the seas of Antarctica. Six of these are represented in 

 his collection, as already mentioned. The seventh would be, 

 no doubt, the Giant Petrel (Ossifraga ffigantea) , a. charac- 



* Pagensteclier, " Yog-. Siid-Geovgieus," iu .lailib. wis.s. Auf-t. z. Ham- 

 burg, vol. ii. (1885). 



