ON THE BIRDS OF THE SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS. 231 



time ere commencing nesting, and thus allowed all the more desirable sites to be occupied 

 by the other species. 



The nest was a much better and larger structure of stones than that of its congeners, 

 P. adeliae and P. ctntarctica, being from seven to eight inches high, and containing 

 some old tail-feathers and a few bones. The birds, too, were cleaner than the rest all 

 through the season. They were, however, great thieves, so far as pilfering nesting- 

 materials was concerned. 



On November 14th many of the nests became snowed up, and some of the birds 

 sat in more or less deep holes in the snow ; many, too, were completely covered. 



The first eggs were laid on November 6th. They were usually two in number, 

 frequently only one, never three. In shape they were very uniform, and rounder than 

 those of P. adeli&. The period of incubation was found to vary from thirty-one to 

 thirty-five days. 



The birds are somewhat timid ; a few of those incubating were bold enough to peck 

 at human intruders, but the majority ran off their nests when approached. They were 

 a little more courageous after the young were hatched, but even then some of them 

 deserted their chicks without making any pretence at protection. They, however, 

 fought fiercely among themselves, using both wings and bills, giving some hard smacks 

 and sharp bites. 



The young birds did not commence to lose their down until February llth; but 

 on one or two the white band across the crown had already begun to show itself, and 

 the neck to darken in colour. 



The collection of skins from the South Orkneys contains specimens in all stages of 

 plumage, and many eggs were also obtained. 



The newly hatched chick is clad in silky down, and is of an olive-grey tint on the 

 upper surface (darker, nearly black, on the head), but lighter beneath, and the bill is 

 bluish grey. This stage soon gives place to a darker coat of down, to the tips of which 

 the paler down of the first coat is attached for a time. In this second coat of down, 

 the upper parts, including the head, are slate-grey, the plumes of the back having pale 

 tips, and the under surface is white. When only a few days old, the bill begins to 

 assume the orange tint characteristic of the adult birds. 



The adults obtained in February are in faded plumage, and late in that month and 

 during March and April had either moulted their tails or had that appendage only in 

 an incipient stage of growth. 



Eighty specimens of mixed sexes, weighed on April 28th, 1903, varied from 8 '5 to 

 13'75 Ibs. Of these, the heaviest male scaled 1375 Ibs., the heaviest female 12'5 Ibs. 



Catarrhactes chrysolophus Brandt. 

 Catarrhactes chrysolophus Cat. B., xxvi. p. 641. 



The presence of this species at the South Orkneys is an interesting discovery, 

 since it indicates a considerable extension in its hitherto-known range, for there was 



