156 Southern Cross. 



(•(' the- latter dies the Nellie swallows it, and the relations of the 

 deceased do not seem to mind. Two I'enguins that were shot the 

 other day were gobbled up before there was time to row the boat 

 round a j)iece of ice to pick them up." 



Dr. Racovitza's account is as follows : — 



"The Giant Petrel is a hideous and repulsive bird. The size is 

 that of a Goose, and the extent of wing in the males, which are larger 

 than the females, exceeds two metres. Some are entirely white, and 

 others entirely l)rown, but the colour often consists of a mixture of 

 cliocolate brown, white and grey, which imparts a generally dirty 

 aspect to the bird. Add to this a formidable hooked bill of a flesh 

 colour, and large webbed feet, and you have an ensenible which would 

 never gain a prize in any beauty show started by the feathered races. 

 For the rest, its vile employment is on a par with its vile appearance. 

 The Giant Petrel performs on the pack-ice the role of the Vultures. 

 It is a knacker of repute, who knows how, in the course of his 

 imal manceuvres, to discover the corpses of Seals and birds out 

 on the pack-ice. Constantly in motion, it traverses immense dis- 

 tances in search of its food. When tlie object is detected, it descends 

 to its meal at once, gorging itself with blubber and meat, more or 

 less decomposed, to such an extent that it is not able to fly. Do not 

 believe that this is a good time to approach it ! The Giant Petrel 

 has the same faculty as the Snow Petrel for ridding itself of an 

 enemy. AVith a vigour equalled by its size, it discharges the contents 

 of its digestive canal, and, in a twinkling, you are covered with bits 

 of blubber and partially-eaten meat, together with the oil from its 

 stomach. If the projectile of the Snow Petrel is not otto of roses, 

 the bomb fired by the Giant Petrel spreads around a smell calculated 

 to astound even a zoologist, who during his experiences has to see, or 

 rather suifer from, all sorts of queer effects." 



DAPTION, Steph. 

 Daption capensis. 



Procellaria capensis, Linn., Syst. Nat. I., p. 21o (17GG); Milne-Edwards & 

 Gran.lid., Mist. Madag. Ois., p. 671 (1885). 



Daption capensis, Gould, B. Austr., VII., pi. 53 (1847) ; Gigl., Faun. Voit. 

 Omiuo, p. ■](] (1870); Sharpe, Phil. Trans., CLXVllI. (extra vol.), ].. 118 

 (18711, off Kerguelen Isl.) ; Mo-<eley, Notes Nat. ' Challenger; p. 134 (1879, 

 Tristan da Gun ha), p. 183 (Crozet Islands), p. 229 (Heard Island); Salvin, 



