17 G Mr. W. Eagle Clarke on the 



This species is a summer visitor to the South Orkneys. 

 In the autumn of 1903 it was only once seen after April 

 21st, on which date a flock was observed flying north. It 

 was entirely absent during May, June, July, August, and 

 September. The first of the spring immigrants was seen on 

 October 1st, but the bird was not noted again until the 

 23rd, after which date it became frequent. 



About 20,000 resort to Laurie I. for nesting-purposes, and 

 they are found in hundreds all round the coast. In Uruguay 

 Cove alone there were over one hundred accessible nests, and 

 many others were out of reach. They also nest on Saddle I., 

 where both young and old were obtained on February 4th, 



1903, and are doubtless abundant throughout the other 

 islands of the Archipelago, which may be regarded as a 

 metropolis of the species. 



They were never observed flying over the land, but were 

 to be seen on the wing in front of the cliffs (not wheeling 

 high over them, like Payodroma nivea) or sailing over 

 the sea. 



The chick in down, five days old, taken on January 18th, 



1904, is slate-grey above, and paler and sooty on the under 

 surface. 



A young bird obtained at Saddle I. on February 4th, 

 1903, has the head and body clad in down, with feathers 

 developing on the wings and scapulars. The down on the 

 upper surface is sooty (darker on the head and cheeks) and 

 paler and greyish on the under parts. The wing-quills, the 

 largest of which are 2 inches in length, are black, some of 

 them with the inner webs white towards the base. The 

 feathers of the scapulars are black and white. There are no 

 signs of tail-feathers. Wing 8 inches. 



The mature birds from the South Orkneys and the Weddell 

 Sea present two types of plumage. The first of these, 

 which perhaps represents old birds in weathered dress, were 

 captured towards the end of summer (in February) : and in 

 them the dark portions of the plumage are blackish with a 

 brown cast, the head alone being black ; the feathers of the 

 mantle have whitish bases ; and the marginal and lesser 



