On the Birds of the South Orkney Islands. 145 



X. — Ornithological Results of the Scottish National Antarctic 

 Expedition. — II. On the Birds of the South Orkney 

 Islands. By Wm. Eagle Clarke, F.R.S.E., F.L.S., 

 Royal Scottish Museum*. 



(Plates III.-X1II.) 



The South Orkneys (see Plate V.) are a group of over a 

 dozen islands situated between G0° and 61° S. lat., and 

 43° 3' and 47° W. long. They lie some 600 miles S.E. by E. 

 of the Falkland Islands, about 500 S.W. of South Georgia, 

 and 200 E. of the South Shetlands. They were discovered 

 by Powell in 1821, and were visited by Weddell in 1823, by 

 Dumont D'Urville in 1838, and by Larsen in 1893. The 

 descriptions furnished by these explorers were, however, 

 meagre in the extreme, and until the visit of the Scottish 

 expedition the South Orkneys remained among the least- 

 known lands lying on the fringe of the South Polar Sea. 



So far as their Ornis is concerned only two species of birds, 

 and one of these problematical, have hitherto been alluded 

 to — namely, the Ringed Penguin {Pygoscelis antarctica), of 

 which a specimen was obtained on Weddell I. by D'Urville, 

 and a Crested Penguin (Catarrhactes) described by Larsen. 



The ' Scotia ' visited the islands on her voyage south in 

 February 1903 ; subsequently, having completed her first 

 Antarctic cruise, she returned to the Archipelago towards 

 the end of March and went into winter-quarters, remaining 

 there for eight months, during which period much valuable 

 geographical and zoological work was accomplished. 



Only two of the islands are of considerable size — namely, 

 Coronation I., which is the most westerly, and Laurie I., the 

 most easterly. 



Laurie I., where the c Scotia ' wintered, was the main 

 scene of the labours of the expedition, and it is almost 

 entirely upon observations and collections made during eleven 

 months' residence there that the following contribution is 



* For Part I. "The Birds of Gough Island," see 'The Ibis,' 1905, 

 pp. L>47-268. 



SER. Mil. — VOL. VI. L 



