58 E. LÖNNBERG, CONTRIBTJTIONS TO THE FAUNA OF SOUTH GEORGIA. 



From this differ the observations of the Scottisli Expedition (21) on the South 

 Orkneys. There Chionis was found to be quite a parasite at the penguin rookeries 

 looking out for »dead birds or broken eggs». It was an expert egg-thief and was 

 seen to steal »an egg from under a sitting Shag which was somewhat disconcerted» 

 because it was photographed. The experience of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition 

 had been just the same. K. A. Andersson (8) terms Chionis a parasite of the penguin- 

 rookeries and says expressively : »Er stiehlt mit Vorliebe Eier — durchsucht die 

 Excremente der Pinguine und nimmt im iibrigen gern mit jederlei Abfall von den 

 Mahlzeiten der Pinguine und anderer Vögel vorlieb, er ist ein wirklicher Allesfresser. » 

 It is thus very stränge that the habits can be so different at different places, be- 

 cause if the Chionis of South Georgia had wanted to steal eggs, it could have had 

 the opportunity of doing so at the papua rookeries. 



The Chionis birds are very inquisitive and like to investigate shining things, 

 like tin-cans and such like. They were also often seen and heard drumming on 

 the shiny parts of the engine of the motor-boat. 



One of the specimens has on either side at the lower margin of the naked area 

 below the eye a cylindrical »horn» which measures about 1 cm. in length and about 

 1 — IV2 mm. in thickness. It is curved backwards and may be regarded as a terato- 

 logical product effected by the continued growth of one of the papillse. It is, how- 

 ever, of a certain interest, as it is present symmetrically on both sides. 



Catharacta antarctica (Lesson) 1831. 



Syn. : Larus catarrhactes Carmichael 1818. 



(nec. Linné 1766.) 

 Lestris antarctica Lesson 1831. 

 Stercorarius antar cticus Gray 1844. 

 Megalestris antarctica Gould 1859. 



2 J 1 J 1 Boiler Harbour, Cumberland Bay, the 2d of May 1905. »Iris browiu in one, »iris black» 

 in the other. 



J 1 pull. (halfgrown) Moraine Fjord, Cumberland Bay, the 17th of Febr. 1905. 

 2 pnll. from the nest, Boiler Harbour, Cumberland Bay, the 12th of Jan. 1905. 



1 pnll. from the nest, at the foot of Mount Duse, Boiler Harbonr, Cumberland Bay, the 14th of 

 Dec. 1904. 



5, J* (skeletons) Boiler Harbour, Cumberland Bay, the 13th of Febr. 1905. 



2 eggs the same locality, the 24 th of Nov. 1904. 



2 eggs, Moraine Fjord, Cumberland Bay the 27th of Nov. 1904. 



The old birds in this collection have rather short bilis, so that the length of 

 the eulmen measures resp. 59, 57 56 and 52 mm. The length of the bilis is thus 

 not much greater than iu the bird which I have provisionally given the subspecific 

 name falklandica, but the bill of the Great Skua of South Georgia is a very much 

 stouter and heavier organ, its height being resp. 24, 24, 22 and 21 mm. in these 

 four specimens against 17 in falklandica, and the width measured in a level with the 



