Hecror.— Notes on Birds during the Voyage to England. 199 
Dr. Buller exhibited a drawing, which Dr. Finsch had sent him of the 
wing of Eudyptula albosiquata; but he still maintained the opinion that it 
was only an accidental variety of the common species, 
Art. X XIII.—Notes on Birds observed during the Voyage to England, in a 
Letter to the President. 
By James Hector, C.M.G., M.D., F.B.S. 
[Communicated to the Wellington Philosophical Society by Dr. Butter, C.M.G., 
Tth August, 1875.) 
“On board the ‘ Howrah,’ 18th May, 1875.—I hope we shall be in London in a 
week, and may as well write a few lines in readiness to post to you. Our voyage 
has been slow, but pleasant, with very little rough weather. We did very 
well to the Horn ; but since then have had very light winds, and but little 
help even from the Trades. * * * * JT have been rather surprised at 
the small number of birds we have seen. For some days out from New 
Zealand we had Diomedea melanophrys and another small species with a 
white head and brown mottled body. These were very common near the 
Bounty Islands; but were not seen afterwards. The Mollymawks we had 
till we reached the South Tropic. It was not till we rounded the Horn that 
we saw any of D. exulans or D. fuliginosa. The latter species I am positive 
we never saw in the Pacific, as it is so easily recognised by the blue streak 
on the mandibles. It is very abundant between the Falkland Islands and 
latitude 80° S. Off the Western Isles two or three birds like albatrosses, 
but much smaller, with white bellies and white ring round the throat, were 
seen. I dare sayI shall recognise it in the British Museum. Thalassidroma 
nereis followed us almost to the Horn; but, after entering the Atlantic, 7’. 
melanogastra took its place, at first in large flocks, but, since latitude 85° $., 
only a few stragglers have been seen. In the Pacific I saw one Lestris, and 
large flocks of ‘‘ whale-birds "’ as the sailors called them—which were the 
Blue Billy (Prion turtur); but, in the South Atlantic, we met flocks of 
another but larger-sized grey bird, which they also called ‘ whale-birds.” 
These were evidently Procellaria giacialoides. When 100 miles off the Horn, 
a specimen of the White-throated Shag (Graculus drevirostris) flew on 
board. We never saw a single Cape Pigeon during the voyage. Where 
ean they be at this season—February—March ? Only two Tropic Birds, 
one Frigate Bird, and a few Noddies were seen near St. Paul’s Rocks, and 
these complete the list of birds. I am anxious to get to the end of the 
