BIRDS. 237 
Diomedea, sp. 1 See footnote, p. 230. 
Phabetria fuliginosa. Salvin, Cat. B, Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 453. Sooty 
Albatros (p. 230). 
Plumage generally sooty, paler and greyer on the shoulders and the 
under surface; an imperfect white ring round the eye; tail rather 
long and wedge-shaped; bill black, with an orange-yellow groove. 
Length 36 in., wing 19°5 in. 
This bird, the ‘Piow’ or ‘Peeo’ of the sealers, has a wide range 
in the Southern oceans. It is known to breed on South Georgia, 
the Prince Edward and Marion Islands, the Crozets and Kerguelen ; 
but further information respecting the haunts of this and every 
other Albatros is much to be desired. There are in all fifteen 
species of Diomedeide, but no other than the above is known to 
make a near approach to the Antarctic Circle. 
Megalestris antarctica. Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus, xxv. p. 319 (p. 232). 
MEGALESTRIS MACCORMICKI, Jd. t.c. p. 321, pl. 1 (p. 231). 
The Antarctic Skua, known to seafaring men as the ‘Port Egmont 
Hen’ and ‘Sea Hen,’ is of a dark brown colour, paler on the under 
surface, and with white bases to the outer primaries, forming a 
fairly conspicuous bar when the wing is extended. The largest 
specimens, attaining a length of 24 in., and wing 17 in., have been 
taken in the New Zealand area; the smallest are from the vicinity 
of the Falklands, and have an average length of 21 in., wing 15 in. 
McCormick’s Skua is much paler, the crown being olive-brown ; the 
acuminate feathers of the neck strongly marked with golden straw 
colour, and the upper breast streaked with the same, though in a 
less degree ; the remaining under surface darkening to coffee-brown 
on the belly ; mantle, wings and tail chiefly umber-brown, as in the 
preceding. Both species—and, indeed, all the Skuas—have ex- 
ceedingly sharp curved claws, like those of Accipitrine birds. 
Larus dominicanus. Saunders, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 245 (p. 232). 
The Southern Black-backed Gull has the head, neck, tail and under 
surface pure white ; the mantle sooty black ; the wing feathers mainly 
blackish, with white sub-apical patches or ‘mirrors,’ which increase 
in extent with the maturity of the individual ; bill yellow, red at the 
angle; tarsi and toes greyish-olive, with yellower webs. Average 
length of the male 23 in., wing 16°5 in. ; the female rather smaller. 
Campbell Island is the furthest south known in the New Zealand 
area, but the species may reach the Macquarie group. 
