170 



Captain Kempson tells me that on his last voyage Home, when in sight of Cape Horn, the temperature in the 

 sun was 85° Fahr., whilst in the shade, on the other side of the ship, the thermometer stood at 50°. This 

 is almost as curious as Captain Scoresby's report that at 80° north latitude he had the pitch melted on one 

 side of his ship by the heat of the sun, while water : was freezing on the other side, owing to the coldness of 

 the air. Now that we are getting beyond the influence of the warm current from the Mozambique, birds are 

 getting more numerous ; a few Diomedea exulans, a splendid pair of D. regia, and six of Phcebetria fuliginosa 

 (the ' Cape Hen ' of sailors) remained with us nearly all day. When about sixty miles from the Crozets 

 a fine Skua (Megalestris antarctica) appeared among them, and instantly gave battle to a Sooty Albatros. 

 Before finally leaving us, he mounted high overhead and took a good survey of the ship. 



Ordeb LAEIFOEMES.] 



[Family STEECOEAEIIML 



MEGALESTRIS MACCORMICKI. 



(MACCORMICK'S SKUA.) 



Megalestris maccormicki, Saunders, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. iii., p. 12 (1893). 



I have now to add this Antarctic form to the New Zealand list. There is a fine male specimen, 

 in full plumage, in my collection, which was obtained under the following circumstances. 

 In the summer of 1895 I accompanied Lord Eanfurly and party to Stewart Island, in the Govern- 

 ment steamboat ' Tutanekai,' and whilst lying in Paterson's Inlet, a large Skua was seen hovering 

 daintily over the surface of the water with its legs dangling. A member of his Excellency's suite 

 took a long shot with a pea rifle, and it was evident that the Skua was badly hit, for it turned a 

 half-somersault in the air, and then made in a bee-line for the open sea. After flying about three- 

 hundred yards, it collapsed and dropped into the water. A boat was sent out to pick up the bird, 

 and immediately on taking it into my hands I saw that it was distinct from Megalestris antarc- 

 tica. On dissecting the specimen I found that the ball had passed right through the body, just 

 above the tail ; so the bird had exhibited a marvellous amount of vitality. 



With Dr. Sharpe's assistance I have compared it with the type specimens in the British 

 Museum (four in number) of Megalestris maccormicki, and the species is undoubtedly identical.* 



* It is thus characterised by Mr. Saunders: — "Ad. much paler than M. antarctica; crown olive-brown; 

 acuminate feathers of the nape and neck all round slightly marked with golden straw-colour, with the upper breast 

 streaked with the same, though in a less degree ; the remaining under- surface gradually darkening to coffee-brown on 

 the abdomen, with the wings and tail chiefly umber-brown, as in M. antarctica; bill blackish, short and stout; tarsi 

 and toes black. Total length, 21 inches ; wing 15-5, tail 6-5, culmen 2-3, tarsus 2-6, middle toe and claw 2-7." 



