G76 Mr. M. J. Nicoll on the Birds collected and 



Between Tristan da Cunha and the Cape of Good Hope 

 numbers of Petrels were seen, as well as Albatrosses 

 (D. exulans and D. chlororhyncha), which were abundant 

 for a few days, after which the latter disappeared. A few 

 Great Shearwaters {Puffinus gravis) were also seen. 



On January 24th, when about three days from the Cape, 

 a Petrel, probably (Estrelata incerta, followed the ship 

 all day, sometimes flying over the poop, but never near 

 enough to drop on deck if shot, although I waited for it 

 all day. (Estrelata macroptera was also seen. Early on 

 January 28th Table Mountain was sighted, and at 8.30 a.m. 

 we entered Table Bay. During our stay at Capetown Mr. 

 W. L. Sclater most kindly arranged several excursions for 

 us, the most interesting being a visit to Dassen Island. 

 Although Mr. Sclater has described a visit he made to this 

 island ('Ibis/ 1896, p. 519), I venture to think that a short 

 account of our experiences may be of interest. 



We left Capetown on February 3rd in the Government 

 tug ' Magnet/ and returned late on the afternoon of the next 

 day. During our passage to Dassen Island, about thirty- 

 five miles distant, we saw numbers of Penguins (Spheniscus 

 demersus), Cormorants (Phalacrocorax capensis), Larus 

 duminicanus, Majaqueus cequinoctialis, Diomedea melanophrys, 

 and one example of D. fuliyinusa, also several Gannets (Sula 

 capensis). We reached the island at seven o'clock in the 

 evening, and were most kindly received by the lighthouse- 

 keeper, who gave us rooms in his house for the night. 



The most remarkable sight to those landing on this island 

 is the enormous quantity of so-called Black-footed Penguins 

 (Spheniscus demersus). u Jackass Penguin" is a much 

 better name, as we soon discovered, for during the night 

 several dozens of these birds collected outside the house 

 and kept up a continual braying exactly resembling that 

 of an ass. It is said that about nine millions breed upon 

 Dassen Island. Their eggs are collected and sent to Cape- 

 town for eating. Two eggs are laid in a nest, usually in a 

 hole in the ground or in a scooped-out hollow under the 

 ice-plant with Avhich the island is covered in places. It is 



