24 Vallentin, Notes on the Falkland Islands. 



above-mentioned papers by Messrs. Gould and Sclater. 

 I wish here to record my gratitude to Dr. P. L. Sclater 

 for kindly furnishing me with these references, 



Podicipes doniinicus, " Grebe." Generally distributed 

 at least over the northern portion of the East Falklands. 

 I have never seen this bird alive. The ^^^ is oval in 

 form and ivory-white in colour ; the shell is very smooth. 

 The average length of three specimens in my collection 

 is 53 to 41 mm. 



Aptenodytes pennanti, " King Penguin." At present 

 only an occasional visitor to the Falkland Archipelago. 

 Has never been known to nest there within living memory. 

 A fine male specimen of this species was captured on the 

 West Falklands during my previous visit in 1899, but I 

 never saw it. 



Spheniscus magellanicus, " Jackass." Generally dis- 

 tributed over the whole archipelago. Usually nests in 

 colonies, but isolated nests are frequently met with. The 

 nests are always made in burrows, and these vary in depth 

 according to circumstances. If the birds are subject to 

 much persecution, as those near Stanley are, these burrows 

 run into the peat banks for several yards. Elsewhere, 

 where the birds are seldom if ever disturbed, these holes 

 are shallow. I have found this species sitting on its 

 eggs and young in holes hardly deep enough to cover the 

 parent bird. Once, I found two nests of this species 

 under very singular conditions. A single tunnel extended 

 into a peat-bank for about 2 3^ feet, it then branched off 

 to the right and left for about 1 8 inches and then ended. 

 In each of these diverticula was a sitting " Jackass," each 

 with two fledglings. 



When first discovered in its burrow, this species has a 

 peculiar habit of turning its head sideways, first to the 

 right and then to the left, as if to get a good look at its 



