86 E. LÖNNBERG. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FAUNA OF SOUTH GEORGIA. 



Pygoscelis antarctica (Forsteb) 1781. 



Syn. : Aptenodytes antarctica Forster 1781. 

 Spheniscus antarcticus Stephens 1825. 

 Pygoscelis antarctica Gray 1844. 

 Eudyptes » » 1846. 



5 Boiler Harbour, Cnmberlaud Bay, the 22th of Febr. 1905. »Iris greyish yellow.» 

 J* (skeleton) Moraine Fjord, Cumberland Bay, the 26th of Febr. 1905. 



The German Expedition 1882 — -83 von den Steinen (12) found this penguin 

 breeding at Royal Bay, hut only a few pair which had almost fullgrown youngs 

 about the 18th of Febr. The Swedish Expedition did not observe it during its short 

 visit at South Georgia 1902. The two specimens mentioned above were the only 

 ones observed by Sörling. They were not in company and appeared to be somewhat 

 more shy than the pxpwa-penguins and were thus probably straying individuals. 

 The whalers told several times that »black-billed penguins» were seen off the coast 

 among the whales, and these were no doubt representatives of this species. It may 

 therefore be possible that P. antarctica in small numbers breeds in other fjords of 

 South Georgia, although Sörling did not observe any rookeries in the places visited 

 by him. South Georgia is, however, to be regarded as lying at the northern boundary 

 of the distribution of P. antarctica. On the South Shetland Islands and on the 

 northwestern coast of Graham Land the Swedish Expedition 1901 — 1903 found it to 

 be common and breeding in great rookeries at several places (8), but never on the 

 eastern coast of Graham Land. This is the more remarkable as the latest news, which 

 have reached us, tell that the Scottish Expedition 1903 found the Ringed Penguin 

 superabundant on the South Orkney Islands (W. Eagle Clarke 21), where it was, 

 next to Pygoscelis adelice, the most numerous species of birds. On Saddle Island a 

 single rookery was »believed to be tenanted by not less than 50,000 birds» and the 

 Laurie Island was regarded to have a summer population of »not less than one 

 million birds» (21) of this kind. The Ringed Penguin is said to be very pugnacious 

 and a good fighter. Mr. Eagle Clarke (21) has written a highly interesting report 

 about this bird based on the material from the Scottish Expedition so that its life- 

 history is now just as well known as that of its congeners. 



