284 ORNITHOLOGY OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



Under the name of "sea-hen," Mr Comer (Verrill, t.c., pp. 450 and 464) describes 

 them as being "quite plentiful," and commencing to lay in the middle of September. 

 " When the penguins lay, the sea-hens come ashore in large numbers, and get their 

 living by robbing the nests and catching the young penguins. They also kill the 

 young albatroses, and all the small birds they can catch." Mr Comer killed about 300 

 of these birds at Gough Island for the sake of their feathers. 



This is also a common bird at Tristan da Cunha. 



7. Oceanites oceanicus (Kuhl). 



Wilson's Petrel, together with Cymodroma grallaria, was observed in some 

 numbers in the vicinity of the island. One specimen was obtained, but another which 

 had been shot was carried off by a skua ere it could be retrieved. Although this 

 species has a remarkably wide range and occurs in the Atlantic as far north as the 

 European and North American coasts, it has not yet been recorded for Tristan da 

 Cunha, and did not come under the notice of, or was not identified by, Mr Comer at 

 Gough Island. 



8. Cymodroma grallaria (Vieillot). 



This species was observed off the island along with Wilson's Petrel, and was the 

 more numerous of the two. Several examples were obtained and are in the collection. 



Though widely distributed in the southern oceans, it does not seem to have been 

 hitherto observed at the Tristan da Cunha group or at Gough Island. 



9. Puffinus assimilis Gould. 



The collection contains a pair of these birds which Dr Pirie captured in a deep 

 nesting-hole on the steep grass-covered bank flanking the side of the ravine, his atten- 

 tion being drawn to them by their loud croakings. Similar burrows were extremely 

 numerous, in fact the bank was honeycombed with them ; and numbers of the birds 

 were seen off the island. Basal half of the bill pale blue, distal part and nasal tubes 

 black. Front of tarsus and toes greyish blue, posterior portion of tarsus and sides of 

 toes black, webs yellowish. 



This species does not appear to have been previously recorded from Gough Island, 

 or from any of the islands of the Tristan group or their neighbourhood. 



10. Priofinus cinereus (Gmelin). 



There are three specimens of this bird in the collection, all of which have the 

 feathers of the back, upper tail-coverts, and wing-coverts edged with paler grey than 

 the rest of their exposed portions. In life the maxilla is dull pea-green, the nostrils, 

 culmen, and unguis are black ; the mandible with apical plate and cutting-edge is black, 

 the lower plate is pea-green. The tarsus and toes are pinkish grey, darker or blackish 

 at the joints, the webs yellowish. In two of the skins the feet are yellow. 



