246 ORNITHOLOGY OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



Phalacrocorax atriceps King. 

 Phalacrocorax atriceps Cat. 15., xxvi. p. 390. 



It had long been known that a species of Phalacrocorax nested in the icy regions 

 of the Antarctic, for Ross found a " Cormorant " breeding at Louis Philippe Land, and 

 saw innumerable examples at Cockburn Island on January 6th, 1844. The specific 

 identity of these Antarctic Shags remained somewhat uncertain until the Scottish 

 Expedition finally settled the matter at the South Orkneys in 1903. 



The Blue-eyed Shag, as the explorers termed this species, was present all the year 

 round in the archipelago. 



In summer it was numerous, but avoided the main islands and sought nesting- 

 places on small islets or rocks off the coast of Laurie and Saddle Islands, where it 

 was estimated that about two thousand five hundred pairs were breeding, and 

 where some of the rookeries contained as many as two hundred nests. In winter it 

 was much less numerous, but the species never escaped observation for many days 

 in succession. 



On August 2nd a flock containing several thousands, probably early immigrants, 

 was seen from the Scotia as she lay in her winter-quarters. 



The first eggs were obtained on November 8th, on a small islet some forty feet high 

 situated off the north coast of Laurie Island, where a few Ringed Penguins were also 

 nesting. The nests were well-built structures composed of seaweed, moss, lichens, and 

 feathers. Some of the birds were still engaged in nest-building, and were diving and 

 bringing up masses of seaweed in their bills, while others were busily engaged in 

 picking mosses and lichens off the rocks. They were great thieves, even worse than 

 the penguins, for when the more timid of the nest-builders retreated on the approach 

 of the explorers, the bolder birds immediately carried off the momentarily deserted 

 materials for their own use. A few only of the nests contained eggs, mostly one apiece, 

 though some had two ; and the conclusion was arrived at that the birds had only just 

 commenced laying. Many of the nests were on rocks, some of them in the sites of 

 previous years ; while others were on pinnacles of ice, having been built on snow which 

 had gradually thawed away all round the nest, but not at its base. The sitting birds 

 were very confiding, and allowed themselves to be stroked on their nests. On the 

 following day, November 9th, another nesting colony was found on a small bare islet. 

 Here many of the nests contained three eggs, and the rock between them was in a 

 terribly unsavoury condition. The usual number of eggs was two, but three were not 

 unfrequent. The eggs varied in size from 51 to 67 mm. in length, and were 41 mm. 

 in breadth. 



It was unfortunately impossible to visit these rookeries later in the season ; and 

 there were none within reach of Scotia Bay, though some birds rested every night on 

 the rocky islets in the bay in December, where no signs of their nesting were 

 apparent. 



