90 



NATURAL HISTORY OF KERGUELEN ISLAND. 



flight; is easily domesticated, remarkably fearless of uiau, dislikes wa- 

 ter, cannot swim, is largely a vegetable-feeder, and its usual note is a 

 harsh croak. These characteristics, taken together with its attitudes, 

 gait, pugnacity, ready companionship with domestic fowls, and some 

 obvious peculiarities iu the structure of the digestive system, seemed to 

 indicate irifflnity with the Gallince rather than with Swmaiopus, so far as 

 su()erflcial characters have weight. And so strong was this impression, 

 based upon field-observation only, iu the mind of the observer, that we 

 have made a somewhat extended anatomical examination of two of the 

 alcoholic specimens, and have studied the slender literature of the sub- 

 ject, with the hope of furnishing the materials upon which to base inqui- 

 ries that may establish the proper position of this confessedly doubtful 

 group. Allowing due weight to the authority and great name ot De 

 Blainville, it is proper to remember that this particular species (C. minor), 

 at least, differs from the type-species (C^ alba), as described, in that it is 

 largely a vegetable-feeder ; tbat there is no record of its having been 

 seen " far out at sea"; * and in the characters upon which the diagnosis 

 of the species is based. 



For comparison with Hartlaub's original description, the field-meas- 

 urements of eleven specimens are here quoted : t * 



List of sptcimens, ivith measurements. 



1 , 



■ a S 



M ^ 



a £ 



g 

 p 





















C 





Eemarks. 



: CO 



a 

 ■& 



O 



2 

 P 



03 



-a 



bi 

 B 

 <s 



B 

 a 



bii 



p 



'3 



s 



o 





— 



R 

 O 

 1-1 









1874. 





















: 68956 



27 



Oct. 12 



d 



15. 50 



30.50 



9.00 



.. . . 



1.50 



1.35 



2.00 



1.85 



0.50 



Skin. 



68957 



31 



Oct. 16 



? 



14.00 



■J9. (0 



8.50 





1.35 



1.65 



1.85 



l.CO 



0.45 



Do. 



68955 



32 

 33 



Oct. 1 6 

 Oct. 18 





15.00 



31.00 



9.50 





1.50 



1.60 



1.80 



1.60 



/ 





Skin with .sternum. 

 Disemboweled :ind 

 iu alcohol. 























68958 



67 



Nov. 14 



d 



15. 75 



32.00 



9.35 





1.50 



1.75 



1.75 



1.60 



0.40 



Skin. 





127 



Dec. 5 



dC-) 



15. 00 



.iO. 00 



9.00 



4.65 



1.45 





1.65 



1.55 



0.50 



Alcohol. 





146 

 203 



Dec. 1 1 

 Dec. 29 



dC) 



dm 



14.50 

 16.50 



29. 00 

 30.50 



8.50 

 9.00 









1.75 

 1.85 



1.50 

 1.75 



0.50 

 0.50 



Do. 

 Alcohol .ind car- 





4.85 



1.50 































bolic acid. 





204 



Dec. 29 



?(?) 



15.25 



29.15 



8.85 



4.50 



1.35 



1.65 



1.75 



1.65 



0.50 



Do. 





205 



Dec. 29 



d(n 



15.50 



29.85 



8.85 



4.75 



1.35 



1.65 



1.75 



1.55 



0.45 



Do. 



\ 



206 



Dec. 29 $(?) 15.75 



28.85 



8.50 



4.75 



1.35 



1.75 



1.75 



1.05 



0.50 



Do. 



* Vid. Darwin, Voy. loiind the World, p. 94, and Cunningham, Jour. Anat. and Phys, 

 1869, p. 88. 



t From Bull No. 2, Nat. Mas., loc. cit. 



