Birds of the South Orkney Islands. 173 



for very few flew away of their own accord. They shewed 

 no fight when evicted, and usually sat down a yard or two 

 away ; nor did they shoot oil from their nostrils, but they 

 vomited the contents of their stomachs, not as a mode of 

 defence, but to get rid of ballast in order to take wing. 

 They resorted to the same lightening process when chased. 

 Unfortunately, the weather-conditions and those of the ice 

 did not permit of these rookeries being again visited, so that 

 the period of incubation could not be ascertained nor the 

 capture of young be effected. 



The average length of 80 eggs was 10*38 cm. and the 

 breadth 657 cm. Vi~. 



This species was observed on Saddle I., and was thought 

 to be breeding on the adjacent rocks. 



The heavy toll ruthlessly demanded from the Penguins was 

 very manifest on visiting their rookeries. Here abundant 

 remains of recently killed young Penguins, in the shape of 

 clean-picked skins and bones, were lying all around, while 

 the gorged feathered giants were either waddling about or 

 sleeping off the effects of their orgies on the neighbouring 

 snow-slopes. They were observed to feed on dead seals, and 

 during the winter resorted to the ship's refuse-heap in search 

 of scraps of meat. They were very bold when in want of 

 food, and one swooped down close to the cook and tore a 

 piece of flesh off a dead Penguin. 



The proportion of birds in pure white plumage in the 

 rookeries was not more, perhaps less, than two per cent. 

 The colour of the birds ranged from very dark brown 

 through all shades of chocolate, and from grey through 

 light grey and mottled white to white. Some of these facts 

 indicate interbreeding between the two forms and, perhaps, 

 between their offspring and typically coloured birds and 

 others. Dr. Pirie thinks that they interbreed, because he 

 has no recollection of seeing two white birds together on 

 the nesting-grounds. 



Four specimens in the collection are from the South 

 Orkneys, and two of these are of the white form. The 

 weight of these birds varied from 7*25 to 10 lbs. 



