‘THE SNOWY PETREL. 89 ° 
antarctica) many times during our voyage home in the winter, when we were far to the 
north of the outskirts of the ice, we never once saw the Snowy Petrel away from its 
vicinity. It was abundant always in the pack ice, and it is there that the opportunity 
must be taken, if a good series of skins for a collection is to be obtained. 
Our passage through the pack was unfortunately a rapid one, but from time to time 
we were able to procure examples and to confirm, at any rate, the observations previously 
made, that the measurements of this bird vary within large limits, irrespective of sex, 
and apparently also of local distribution ; though it seemed to me that there was a 
preponderance of the larger birds to the westward, where, unfortunately, we were not 
able to do much collecting, and that in the pack ice along the shores by Cape North 
and the Balleny Islands, the general build of all that we saw was bigger and stronger 
In the British Museum Catalogue the following measurements are given :— 
Total length... sh sds i 8s .. 14-16 inches (or 35'7-40°7 cm.). 
Wing... eal 8 ay ee a oe 9°8-11°1 inches (or 24°9-25°6 cm.). 
Tail ... i be a a a ve 4°3-5°1 inches (or 10°9-13°0 cm.). 
Bill ... ie a ae vin si 1°4-1°55 inches (or 3°6-3°9 cm.). 
Tarsus a si i ae st 1°3-1°5 inches (or 3°3-3°8 cm.). 
Middle and outer too Si sh dh 1°6-1°9 inches (or 4°1-4°8 cm.). 
Inner toe... eh ie a us i 1°3-1°5 inches (or 3°3-3°8 cm.). 
‘‘ Specimens differ greatly in size as indicated in the above measurements.” 
The variation in size is even greater than has hitherto been supposed The 
largest example in the present collection was obtained in the Ross Sea pack ice, while 
the smallest of all was obtained off Cape Adare; their respective sizes may be seen 
from the following measurements :— 
‘Morning.’—No. 15. ‘ Discovery.’—No. 17. 
Culmen __.... ~ = sg re is 2 2°6 cm. 1°8 cm. 
Wing os di es eed we aes cs 29 cm. 24°5 cm. 
Mid toe... ae ee oe bs ey bas 5°5 cm. 4°1 cm. 
Total length ae ~ se os nn see 39°5 cm. 29°38 cm. 
Tail bss sh ba be ae a ae 15°2 cm. 12°5 cm. 
Tarsus ie me cn es ae ae ae 3°8 cm. 3°1 cm. 
Inner toe ... oe ns si eh a dey 3°8 cm. 3°2 cm. 
and between these two extremes every gradation may be observed. 
The following are measurements taken in the flesh from two examples of the 
bird which were captured in Robertson Bay :— 
(a) Total length ... is se oe ee mr a 34 cm. 
Total stretch tip to tip of —_ ies sy “s a ss 78 cm. 
Girth at the shoulders a iy er sa es a 20 cm. 
Bill from nasal feathers to tip wi a as ay ae 18 mm. 
Bill from angle of mouth to tip fe si 4 v8 si 35 mm. 
(6) Total length ... 3 ye sa sis se as 40 cm. 
Total stretch tip to tip of wing saa rH ae os as 82 cm. 
Girth at the shoulders he a as wis oss ats 23 cm. 
Bill from nasal feathers to tip es et a oi ot 22 mm. 
Bill from angle of mouth to tip sts a ee si i 42 mm. 
