The Zoologist — August, 1869. I779 



vour to bring home as complete a living collection as possible of the 

 mammals and birds of those islands, 



Lecorate left Swansea on the 1st of June, 1867, in the coal-ship 

 'Epsilou' (Captain Williams), and arrived at Port Stanley on the 11th 

 of August. The first fortnight after his arrival he devoted to excur- 

 sions along the shores in the vicinity of Port Stanley, but found little 

 of interest here. In the middle of September Lecomte went to Capt. 

 Packe's establishment at Island Harbour, and stayed there a month, 

 searching the creeks and shores diligently in that vicinity. In 

 December Lecomte returned to Port Stanley, where Governor Robin- 

 son most kindly gave him a room in Government House whilst en- 

 gaged in preparing specimens and prosecuting researches for the 

 Society. His Excellency likewise allovred him the use of a schooner 

 of eight tons burden, in which he made several voyages to Volunteer 

 Lagoon and the adjoining shores of East Falkland. This was in the 

 month of December, when the various species of penguins, of which 

 Lecomte made a considerable collection, are most easily captured. 



About the beginning of March Lecomte left Port Stanley again in 

 the Governor's schooner for " sea-lion Island," off the south shore of 

 East Falkland, with the expectation here, at least, of meeting with the 

 animal whence the island has received its name. But he was again 

 disappointed, not a single sea-lion having been found in this locality. 

 But on the southernmost of the Kelp Islands, lying further north, 

 which were visited on the return voyage, a herd of about thirty indi- 

 viduals of this animal was discovered ; an old male (of which the 

 skull was preserved) was shot, and four young ones (two males and 

 two females) were captured. The female sea-lion produces her 

 young (rarely more than one at a birth) about Christmas-day, so that 

 these animals were probably between three and four months old when 

 captured. Lecomte returned at once to Port Stanley with his cap- 

 tives, but found much difficulty in rearing them. The supply of milk 

 was limited, and small fishes, such as they could eat, were with diffi- 

 culty to be had. The last of the four died upon Good Friday (April 

 10th), whereupon he immediately determined to set about getting a 

 fresh supply. 



The governor's schooner being now employed upon other service, 

 Lecomte hired for this purpose the schooner ' Felis ' (Capt. Hansen), 

 a vessel of about twenty tons, usually engaged in the penguin and 

 seal fishery, and left Port Stanley on May 23.d. At Kelp Island, the 

 first spot visited, they could not land from bad weather, but sea- 



