462 



G. E. Yerrill — Some Birds and Eggs collected at 



lay two eggs, tbe first one smaller than the other and slightly tinted 

 green, and when these are taken will lay others. They often lay in 

 the same rookery with the Macaroni Penguins. At Kei'guelen Island 

 they commence laying by the 20th of November. At Gough Island 

 there is no other kind of penguin and they are larger than the Rock 

 Hoppers I have seen elsewhere.* At this island they commence lay- 

 ing by the 15th of September.f Here the Rock Hopper Penguins 

 would number millions." 



These eggs vary much in form, the majority being regularly ovate, 

 but many are much shortened from the typical ovoid and tend to a 

 spheroidal form, while others are elongated ovoids. The surface is 

 smooth with very shallow depressions and small, sharp pits. The 

 color is pale greenish blue, a few are partly covered with a very thin, 

 dirty yellowish-white, calcareous layer, as in the last species, a few 

 more show traces of it, the rest none at all. The eggs from Kerguelen 

 do not differ appreciably from those of Gough Island. The follow- 

 ing table shows the principal variations in size and shape. 



Locality. 



Measurements. 



Kerguelen Island. 



2-74 X 



2-35 X 



2-63 X 



(2-57 X 



2 11 

 1-90 

 1-93 



198) 



Ratio of lonjf 

 to short diam. 



1 to -770 

 1 to -809 

 1 to -734 

 1 to -770 4 



Remarks. 



Largest. 

 Smallest. 



Average of above three. 



Gough Island 



3-47 X 2-41 1 to -694 Largest, capacity 168". 



2-24 X 1-73 1 to -772 Smallest, capacity 5 2«. 



2-46 X 1-70 1 to -691 Narrowest. 



2*64 X 1-75 1 to "663 Most elongate. 



2-27 X 1-90 i 1 to -837 Nearest round. 



300 X 2-30 1 to -767 Next to largest and broadest. 



2*60 X 1-96 ' 1 to "754 Nearest average. 



(2.59 X 1 97) 1 to -7606 Average of 98, capacity 80". 



In addition to the birds and eggs actually in the collection Mr. 

 Comer had some interesting notes and observations on others that he 



* This difference in size of the rock hoppers of the Tristan Group has been noticed 

 by others. Mr. Murray's notes in regard to it, given in the article on these birds by 

 Sclater and Salvin (Chal., Zool., ii, p. 1 31), are : " AH the birds on this Tristan group had 

 the yellow superciliary plumes considerably longer than that of those got at Kergue- 

 len and the Falklands. They also all seemed to me rather bigger birds. The Tristan 

 birds are, I think, a well-marked variety." 



f In his journal at Gough Island the following notes occur : — " Sept. I4th. Went to 

 a penguin rookery. Got 1 Q^^'g^ this is the first." "Sept. 16th. Got 2 eggs of pen- 

 guins." "Sept. 17th. Got 10 penguin eggs." "Sept. 18th. The men got 30 eggs," 

 etc. 



