THE GIANT PETREL. 93 



OSSIFRAGA GIGANTEA. 



The Giant Petrel or Nelly. 



Procellaria gigantea, Gmel., Syst. Nat., i. (1788), p. 563. 



Ossifrai/a gigantea, Gigl., Faun. Vert. Oceano (1870), p. 48; Sharpe, Rep. 'South. Cross' Coll. (1902), 

 p. 153, ibique citato, Eagle Clarke, Birds of S. Orkney Ids., Ibis, Jan. 1906, p. 172, pi. xi., fig. 2. 



MATERIAL IN THE ' DISCOVERY'S ' COLLECTION. 



No. 19, ? ad. sk. Dark variety with light head. Jan. 20, 1904. Cape Royds, McMurdo 



Sound. 



No. 20, ? ad. sk. Dark variety with light head. Feb. 12, 1903. McMurdo Sound. 

 No. 21, $ ad. sk. Mottled grey variety. Feb. 23, 1903. McMurdo Sound. 

 No. 22, <J ad. sk. White variety. Jan. 9, 1902. Cape Adare. 

 No. 23, <J ad. sk. White variety. Jan. 9, 1902. Cape Adare. 

 No. 24, $ ad. sk. White variety. Jan. 9, 1902. Cape Adare. 

 No. 146, $ ad. sk. Pale grey variety. Iris, mottled yellowish white and grey. Nov. 22, 



1901. Macquarie Island. 



Nos. 1G1 and 162, adult skeletons. Both of dark variety. Ross Sea. 



The colouring of the soft parts of this bird is as follows, and the description applies to all in the list 

 except when specially signified : 



Bill, pale yellowish horn colour ; the unfeathered skin-folds at the gape and junction of 



the bill and feathers, bluish grey. . 

 Iris, brown, with yellowish radiating streaks. 

 Skin of eyelids, bluish grey. 

 Legs and toes, grey with pale yellowish tinge. 

 Web, fleshy grey. 

 Nails, blackish horn. 



MATERIAL IN THE 'MORNING'S' COLLECTION. 



No. 29, ? ad. sk. Dark variety. 69 S. 178 E. 



M.t., $ ad. sk. White variety. Jan. 8, 1902. Cape Adare. 



M.v., adult skeleton. 



M.w., ad. sk. March 1904. Auckland Islands. Collected by Dr. Souter, of the ' Terra Nova.' 



OF the range and distribution of the Giant Petrel there is little to add to what has 

 already been fully given in various publications, notably by Mr. Howard Saunders in 

 the "Antarctic Manual." 



" Its breeding and habits on Marion and Kerguelen Islands have been described 

 by Moseley and others, and the bird probably nests on Heard Island ; Webster found 

 it on Deception Island, South Shetlands, from January to March ; and as regards 

 South Georgia, the eggs are laid in the beginning of November." 



It wanders freely as far as 30 S. lat. to the North, and almost as far as any other 

 living animal to the South, i.e., to about 78 S. lat. In Mr. Eagle Clarke's account of 

 the birds of the South Orkney Islands, it is stated to have been present in Scotia Bay 

 all the year round, though less numerous during the winter months. Its nesting haunts 

 on Laurie Island were confined to the north and east coasts, where upwards of 5000 

 birds are said to have been resident during the nesting season. The nests are described 



