Birds of the South Orkney Islands. 181 



the nest was approached the owners screamed defiance, and 

 if the eggs were wanted the sitting bird had to be forcibly 

 ejected from the nest — not a very pleasant proceeding, as the 

 sentinel bird wheeled above and dashed at the head of tlie 

 intruder, though never actually striking him. When a dog, 

 however, appeared upon the scene both birds swooped down 

 on it, and sometimes struck it with their wings. The nests 

 were surrounded by many shells of eggs and remains of young 

 Penguins. The young — pretty little masses of light brown 

 down — soon wander away from the nest, and are most difficult 

 to detect among the moss, which they closely resemble. 



These birds were to be seen incessantly hovering over the 

 Penguin-rookeries, and swooping down ever and anon at 

 the sitting birds to snatch their eggs or young. On such 

 occasions the Penguins combined in screeching at the harpies, 

 but to little purpose. 



Many were about the house all the summer, being attracted 

 by the remains of Penguins thrown out by the cook. Nearly 

 one hundred were observed around a sear's carcase; while 

 dead Giant Petrels, and even deceased members of their own 

 species, did not seem to come amiss as food. 



Numerous specimens were obtained at the South Orkneys. 

 These vary in colour, though mature and obtained at identical 

 periods. Specimens captured in November, soon after their 

 arrival on the nesting-grounds, were of two types. One had 

 the ground-colour of both upper and under surfaces dark, 

 being of a deep blackish brown, rather paler below, and 

 shewing comparatively few light markings on the mantle and 

 scapulars, indeed in some specimens the back is practically 

 uniform. The other type is less numerously represented in 

 the collections, and is much paler (drab) generally, except 

 on the head ; while the feathers of the interscapulary region 

 and under surface have grey-buff margins. In these light- 

 coloured birds the yellow streaks on the neck are much more 

 numerous and pronounced than in the darker birds ; and they 

 agree with the form described by Saunders (Brit. Mus. Cat. 

 Birds, xxv. p. 3.20) as inhabiting the Falklands, except that 

 thev are not smaller in size than the ordinary dark form. 



