ON THE BIRDS OF THE SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS. 245 



Late in September and during the first half of October many returned to their 

 summer-quarters, and their numbers greatly increased when the ice broke up on 

 November 23rd. 



The first eggs were found on December llth, when eleven (two clutches of three, 

 two of two, and a single egg) were taken, but some of these proved to be considerably 

 incubated. 



A nest found on December 3rd was on a ledge under an overhanging rock, and was 

 composed of small stones and penguins' tail-feathers. Five nests were found on the 

 llth in the large penguin-rookery in Scotia Bay : four of these were on the fringe of 

 the colony and quite low down, being only from ten to twenty feet above sea-level, and 

 placed in crevices of rocks or underneath boulders on the moraine ; while the other 

 nest was under a large boulder about one hundred feet up the moraine, and right in 

 the midst of the penguins. These nests were mainly composed of the shells of 

 penguins' eggs, bones, and feathers, and a number of limpet-shells. The position of 

 the nest is not difficult to detect, for one of the birds generally sits on a rock close by. 

 The eggs are usually three in number. 



Fresh eggs marked on December llth hatched on January 7th, an incubation period 

 of twenty-eight days. The newly-hatched young are clad in brown down and show 

 conspicuous bare patches ; they are not by any means pretty objects like the young 

 penguins and skuas. On January 29th white feathers were beginning to develop under 

 the down of these chicks ; and by February llth the down had nearly all disappeared. 



These birds were found to be very tame and unwilling to fly ; indeed, some of them 

 would not take wing when pushed with a stick, and most allowed an approach to within 

 striking distance ere they walked leisurely away. 



In the penguin-rookeries they were to be seen perched in prominent places, on 

 the look out for dead birds or broken eggs. They are very bold, and one was observed 

 to abstract an egg from under a sitting shag, which was somewhat disconcerted at 

 having its photograph taken for the first time. Sheathbills were seen to revel in 

 garbage of every description, including the excrement and placentae of seals. Crustaceans 

 were found in the stomachs of some of those dissected. 



The young bird figured is about one-third grown. The wings, scapulars, and 

 flanks have white feathers with a little down. The head, sides and back of 

 the neck, lower part of the back, and abdomen are clad in grey down mottled 

 with brown. 



The temperature of an adult bird, taken on March 26th, 1903, was found to 

 be 107'3 F. 



The collection contains a few skins of adults and the young bird described, also a 

 small number of eggs. The latter are elongate-ovate in shape, and in colour white 

 boldly blotched with greyish black or dark brown and liberally freckled with the same 

 tints. They do not vary much in size, and measure from 54 to 58 mm. in length by 

 37 to 39 mm. in breadth. 



