174 Mr. W. Eaglo Clarke on the 



Daption capensis (Linn.). (Plate X. fig. 1.) 



Daption capensis Cat. B. xxv. p. 428. 



Although the Cape Petrel or " Cape Pigeon " is one of 

 the most familiar birds to voyagers in the southern oceans, 

 and one, too, that has been known since the days of Dampier 

 (that is to say, since the closing years of the 17th century), 

 yet the eggs remained entirely unknown until December 2nd, 

 1903, when Dr. Pirie took the first specimens at the South 

 Orkneys. 



The three nests from which eggs were then obtained 

 were placed on open exposed ledges of cliffs on the west side 

 of Uruguay Cove, Laurie I., at heights of from twenty to a 

 hundred feet above sea-level. The nests were composed of 

 a few small angular fragments of rock and a little earth, 

 and contained single eggs, which were quite fresh. When 

 approached, the sitting birds ejected an evil-smelling reddish 

 fluid composed of the semi-digested remains of crustaceans 

 of the genus Euphausia. It was extremely disagreeable to 

 the collector to receive it in his face when peering over a 

 ledge, and the odour of it was found to cling to clothes for 

 a very long time. The birds can squirt this fluid with great 

 precision for a distance of six or eight feet. They did not 

 leave their nests readily, and even allowed themselves to 

 be captured while sitting. The pure white eggs seemed very 

 large for the size of the bird. 



On December 3rd three more eggs were obtained. There 

 were six nests on the ledge where they were found, but three 

 of them were empty. On the following day about two 

 dozen eggs were taken on the cliffs under Mount Ramsay, 

 and on the 5th some fifty eggs were found on the cliffs on 

 the east side of Uruguay Cove. The birds seemed to be 

 of a sociable nature, for several were frequently found 

 nesting near to each other on the same ledge, but isolated 

 nests were not uncommon. 



The work of collecting the eggs of this species proved to 

 be such an unpleasant business, owing to its nasty methods 

 of defence already alluded to, that a long ski-pole was used. 

 With this the birds were pushed off their nests, and the eggs 



