262 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



tracted at Eio, had had a relapse while we were in the Eiver 

 Plate, and for the last few days had been evidently sinking. 

 At four o'clock the same afternoon he was committed to his 

 " vast and wandering grave " in the mighty deep. Later in 

 the day, as we were nearing the Strait, we again got up steam, 

 to endeavour to make sure of reaching it on the morrow. 



At about 3 P.M. on the l7th, a fine but very cold day, 

 Cape Virgins was sighted, much to our satisfaction, as there 

 was an almost unanimous feeling of pleasure in the return to 

 the field of our labours. The first living creatures seen out- 

 side the Strait were a cormorant and a penguin (Spheniscus 

 Magellanicus) ; and as we entered it and approached Dungeness 

 Spit, a most remarkable spectacle was furnished by a herd of 

 between fifty and sixty sea-lions assembled on the shelving 

 beach. It was curious to watch the huge unwieldy monsters 

 rearing up their heads, and plunging down the shelving beach 

 to the water, where they splashed about. A great flock of 

 cormorants was also seated erect on the spit ; and soon after 

 some one pointed out several so-called " pigeons " flying about 

 not far from us. These, which it was certainly very pardon- 

 able to mistake for pigeons, from their resemblance in flight and 

 colouring, I immediately recognised as the sheathbill (Chioiiis 

 alba), which we did not meet with on the previous season. 

 This interesting bird forms one of two species of a genus, 

 regarding the true position of which in the ornithological 

 system considerable difference of opinion has been enter- 

 tained by ornithologists — some placing it among the Gallince, 

 while others, and I think with more reason, are disposed 

 to regard it as belonging to the Grallce, and allied to Hcema- 

 topus. The above species, which derives its English name 

 from the peculiar form of the upper mandible, was first 

 described by Eorster, and is mentioned in Cook's Voyage 



