244 ORNITHOLOGY OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



with the form described by Saunders (Brit. Mus. Cat. Birds, xxv. p. 320) as inhabiting 

 the Falklands, except that they are not smaller in size than the ordinary dark form, 

 their wings measuring 16 '6 5 inches, as against 16 to 17 inches in the last-mentioned. 

 The Falkland Islands bird has recently been described by Lonnberg ( Wissen. Erg. 

 schwed. Siidpolar-Exped., Bd. v. Lfg. 5, p. 8, 1905) as a sub-species under the name 

 of M. antarctica falklandica. 



It is of interest to remark that one of these light birds was observed to be mated 

 with one of the dark examples. 



Megalestris maccormicki (Saund.). 

 Megalestris maccormicki Cat. B., xxv. p. 321. 



Mr Mossman informs me that a specimen of McCormick's Skua was procured by the 

 Argentine naturalists at Laurie Island on November llth, 1904, and is in their 

 collection of birds. Mr Mossman saw this bird in the flesh and examined it, and he tells 

 me that it was quite different from the skuas, light or dark, which bred at the South 

 Orkneys. This South-Polar bird has not hitherto been obtained so far north as the 

 South Orkneys, indeed I believe not outside the Antarctic Circle. 



Chionis alba (Gm.). 

 Chionis alba Cat. B., xxiv. p. 710.- 



This Sheathbill, the " Paddy " of the explorers, was an abundant species, and 

 though chiefly a summer visitor to the islands, yet wintered in small numbers at 

 Scotia Bay, being attracted by the refuse cast out from the ship. Some wintered away 

 from the ship at the seal-haunts on the north side of the island. 



In the summer it was present in all the penguin and shag rookeries, as many as 

 two hundred haunting some of the larger colonies. Altogether it is believed that from 

 2000 to 3000 of these birds passed the Antarctic summer of 1903 on Laurie Island 

 alone. Adults and young birds were present in considerable numbers at Saddle 

 Island on the occasion of the Expedition's visit early in the previous autumn, namely 

 on February 4th, 1903. 



It was also fairly abundant around Scotia Bay in March, but towards the end of 

 April, when the temperature approached zero, the numbers fell off considerably, and 

 when winter conditions became fairly established only some twenty or thirty remained, 

 and for many days during that drear season were the only living creatures observed. 

 These pensioners eked out an existence on the refuse odds and ends which were daily 

 thrown out from the Scotia. One of the birds became very tame, and for a number 

 of days in succession visited the ship, remaining all day either in the fo'c'sle or 

 in the galley. 



