152 SoittJicni Cross. 



We wort! unaltle to {j;et a i>h(»to of tlie nest as it was, on account of 

 the duptli ami darkness of the cave. Rut Mr. liirnacchi managed 

 to get some very tine i)hotos, showing the cliaracteristic stratifica- 

 tions of the rocks." 



On the 10th of Decemlier, 1899, Mr. Jiurciigrevink startud on 

 his hist .sledge journey into Iiobertson Bay, " ])rin(ii)ally for the 

 ])uri)ose of .securing eggs of the different birds." He ".secured 

 Vmjodroma eggs," and says that the hunt was " arduous, and at 

 times involved difficult climbing" (p. 231). 



Mr. Bernacchi gives the following note (p. 226) : — " Towards the 

 end of Noveml)er a short sledge journey was undertaken to the end 

 of Kobertson Bay, for the purpose of collecting eggs of the Snow 

 Petrels. Travelling on the surface of the bay ice, which had already 

 commenced to break up, and was traversed by huge cracks and open 

 lanes, was difficult work. The surface snow, too, was soft and 

 slushy. A large number of eggs, however, were gathered." On 

 p. 204 he writes : — " The Snow Petrel {Parjodroma nivea) nests high 

 up on the mountain sides of South Victoria Land, in long tunnel-like 

 holes imder the large slabs of rock, some being as much as six feet 

 in depth, others only a foot or two. The actual nest is as crude as 

 that of the Skua-Gull. The female sits on the nest long before she 

 lays her single egg; when the bird is approached in its nest it 

 e.vpectorates a reddish fluid towards the intruder. This fluid has a 

 most obnoxious fishy odour, and no doubt is a very effective means 

 of defence. They are able to eject it to a distance of eight feet, and, 

 if it catches the garments, the smell clings to them for many days 

 after. I Ijelieve this method of defence is common to most Petrels. 

 Some dozens of small white eggs were gathered at a height of 800 

 feet above the sea." 



During the voyage of the ' Belgica,' Ur. Pacovitza says (p. 17): 

 " Tile most faithful of our winged companions was the White or 

 Snow I'etrel. Ii is one of the most graceful Utile birds possible to 

 see. Its jilumage is of a satiny white, purer even than the white of 

 the snow itself. Its eyes are of jet, its bill and feet are black, and its 

 flight is rai)id and graceful. It .seeks its food, which consists of small 

 marine animals, when skimming over the cracks and channels in 

 the ice. With a sudden jilunge it seizes its prey, scarcely ruffling the 

 water as it does so. Between whiles it makes long excui-sions 

 over the ice, and nothing can be more pleasing than to see these 

 little white woolly-looking objects disporting themselves over the 

 while pack-ice. 



" But it is better not to nuike too intimate uu acquaintance 



