Birds of the South Orkney Islands. 177 



coverts shew less white than in the next form. In the 

 second type the dark portion of the plumage is slate-black, 

 and the bases of the feathers of the mantle are dusky. 

 Specimens in this phase were obtained early in the autumn 

 (late in March), and are either in new or first plumage. 

 A male captured on the nesting-ledges on December 3rd, 

 1903, is intermediate in plumage between these two forms. 



Prion bank si Gould. 



Prion banksi Cat. B. xxv. p. 434. 



This " Whale-Bird " fairly claims a place in the avifauna 

 of the South Orkneys on the strength of specimens seen 

 off Coronation Island, within the territorial waters of the 

 Archipelago, on November 27th, 1903, the day on which the 

 ' Scotia' left her winter- quarters to proceed to the Falklands 

 to refit. 



It had been frequently observed on the outward voyage of 

 the previous year, but fell off rapidly in numbers as the 

 pack-ice was entered, and ceased to be noted some sixty miles 

 ere the South Orkneys were reached. It was also seen, and 

 specimens were obtained at sea, to the eastward of the group 

 during the early days of the first voyage in the Weddell Sea. 



The Wandering Albatros (Diomedea exulans) was fre- 

 quently seen between the Falklands and the South Orkneys, 

 but became gradually scarcer as the latter Archipelago was 

 approached. There are only two records in the Log referring 

 to the presence of an Albatros at the South Orkneys — 

 namely, a young bird seen when off the islands on February 

 3rd, 1903, and one or more noted on the following day 

 Saddle Island, but the species in both cases is uncertain 



The Albatroses Thalassogeron chlororhynchus and Ph<xl itna 

 fuliginosa were constantly seen on the voyage from the 

 Falklands to within about sixty miles of the South Orkneys, 

 between January 26th and February 1st, 1903. Phatbetria 

 cornicoides approached still nearer, almost to Saddle I. 



Sterna hirundinacea Less. 



Sterna hirundinacea Cat. B. xxv. p. 52. 



The White- rumped Tern was first observed by the Expe- 



SER. VIII. — VOL. VI. N 



