436 G. E. Verrill — Some Birds and Eggs collected at 



Mr. Comer writes, " They lay under ledges. The nests are small 

 and built of grass, close to the beaches. Lay two eggs." He also states 

 that they were generally the first birds to discover the dead seals, 

 sea-elephants, or pieces of blubber that had been buried by the sealers 

 to keep them from the birds. They would tug and pull at the flesh 

 and blubber to the best of their ability, to get off some to eat, but 

 on the approach of the larger birds they left. 



With reference to Dr. Kidder's remark* that he never observed 

 any sign of carrion eating in this bird, and that on one occasion he 

 saw a chionis light near a sea-elephant carcass without going up to 

 it, although it was nearl3^ covered with sea-birds, Mr. Comer says 

 that the "Paddy" would have gone to it, but the other birds would 

 have eaten him also and so he kept away to save himself. He also 

 mentions the fact, recorded by other observers, that the sheath-bills 

 are very fond of eggs and rob the nests of the penguins and other 

 birds, f 



The four eggs measure 2*25 X 1*52, 2-26Xl*48, 2-llXl'47, and 

 2"12X 1'4'7. The first two resemble each other, as also do the last two, 

 but the two pair differ considerably. Probably the two larger came 

 from one nest and the two smaller from another, though there are 

 no notes or marks to denote this. In shape they are regularly ovate, 

 rather sharply pointed at the small end ; the surface is rough and 

 uneven ; the shell very thin and friable. The color varies much. 

 The ground color is of different shades of dirty, buffy white (in one, 

 with a slight reddish tint). The markings are in the shape of 

 irregularly distributed spots and blotches, generally elongated in the 

 direction of the longest diameter. In one ^^^ these markings form 

 a large, very dark, seal-brown blotch about the large end, with 

 numerous smaller spots and patches of Vandyke brown and slaty- 

 gray ; in another, the markings are in the shape of large blotches 

 and spots, thickest about the middle of the ^^%^ and all of about 

 the same tint of sepia brown with very little gray ; still another, is 

 much lighter, the markings no thicker in one place than another, 

 and are only in the shape of small spots and a light irregular wash ; 

 the fourth is spotted and washed, with the markings thickest about 

 the large end. 



* Bull. U. S. Xat. Mus., No. 2, p. 3. 



f For further notes on these interesting birds, in addition to the papers by Dr. 

 Kidder and Mr. Sharpe, see Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger, by H. N. Mose- 

 ley (pp. 119, 180, 206, 210, 211). 



