40 Vallentin, Notes on the Falkland Islands. 



The second specimen has a lighter ground colour, but the 

 dark brown markings are of two kinds, viz., blotches and 

 scrawls. 



HcBmatopus ater, " The Black Curlew." In this species 

 the ground colour of the eggs is warmer, approaching 

 almost to light pink, but the markings, although of the 

 same colour, are not so pronounced as in the preceding 

 species. The single egg of this species in my possession 

 measures 55 mm. by 41 mm. 



Gallinago paragiiaicB, " Snipe." Very abundant 

 round Stanley in the spring of 1898, but scarce during 

 1901. This species seems to be more abundant in the 

 East than in the West island. The eggs of this species 

 are pointed oval, smooth, and slightly glossy. The 

 ground colour is pale olive, and the markings are biown 

 umber scattered uniformly over the whole egg. They 

 measure from 45 to 47 mm. in length, and from 31 to 

 32 mm. in width. 



Megalestris antarctica, " Sea Hen. " Never very 

 numerous anywhere, but uniformly distributed throughout 

 the whole archipelago. Two or three specimens of this 

 species can usually be found near the slaughter-house 

 attached to every station, and near the rookeries of 

 " Rockhoppers " {Eudyptes chrysocoine), but never near a 

 " Gentoo's " rookery {Pygosceles taeniatd). A distinctly 

 carrion-feeding bird and very pugnacious. During the 

 nesting-season, this species will readily attack either man 

 or quadruped who approaches too near its nests. The 

 eggs, two in number, are deposited during the middle of 

 December in a nest made of grass-bents. The eggs are 

 oval in outline, the ground colour varying considerably 

 from grey to olive brown. The spots have a tendency in 

 some eggs to gather at the larger end, in others these 

 brown spots are evenly spread over the whole surface. 



