ON THE BIRDS OF THE SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS. 247 



There are a number of skins in the collection in both adult and immature plumage, 

 and a considerable number of eggs. 



Adult males shot in September have the crest well developed, the feathers being 

 from 1'5 to 1'75 inches long. A male shot in December has a much shorter crest, and 

 others of the same sex obtained in February are devoid of these ornamental plumes. 

 The September specimens are much more brilliant in plumage than the rest of the 

 adults, and also have the nasal caruncles more developed. The white dorsal patch 

 varies much in size, even in adult males obtained at the same season ; and in one 

 captured in December it is represented by a narrow band of white blotched with black 

 across the middle of the back. The culmen of adult males varies from 2 '2 to 2 '5 

 inches, and the wing from 11 '8 to 12'1 inches. Weight 6'5 Ibs. 



The bird in first plumage has not, I think, been described. One obtained in 

 December has the upper surface hair-brown, tinged with green on the back, where the 

 feathers have narrow margins of lighter brown ; the head and hind-neck show a few 

 darker feathers ; outer scapulars and tail whitish, the shafts of the latter dull light 

 green ; primaries and secondaries dusky with a faint greenish tinge ; wing-coverts 

 edged with dull white, with a narrow buff-white alar band below the marginals ; under 

 wing-coverts brown ; under surface white ; thighs brown. These young birds show no 

 signs of a white dorsal patch. Slightly older birds obtained in February have their 

 upper plumage a mixture of brown and metallic feathers, and one specimen shows slight 

 indications of a white dorsal patch ; the central tail-feathers are blackish with white 

 shafts, and the rest of the plumage is as in the younger bird. 



