OCEANITES OCEANICUS. 



disappearing at the approach of the southern winter. It was not seen in McMurdo 

 Sound from the end of February to the middle of December. In the latter month and 

 in January, 1904, when camped on the sea-ice under Dellbridge Islands, numbers of 

 these Storm-Petrels were observed, but no eggs were discovered ; nor was the species 

 found nesting at Cape Royds, which seemed a more suitable place, being some miles 

 nearer to the open water and consequently to its food supply (Wilson, Rep. Nat. 

 Antarctic Exped., II., p. 76). 



On the voyage out to New Zealand, the " Discovery " made a detour into the Pack 

 Ice, and Dr. Wilson informs us that 0. oceanicus was first met with on November 7th 

 and 8th, when several were noticed following the vessel in and out of the ice, and 

 northwards till Macquarie Island was reached. Between this island and New Zealand 

 none were seen, nor was the bird again observed until the southern voyage, when 

 the " Discovery " once more approached the Pack Ice, and it was afterwards found 

 breeding at Cape Adare. Dr. Wilson further states that not a day passed in the 

 summer cruising of the " Discovery," that he did not see a few of these Storm-Petrels. 

 Although not in large numbers they were, nevertheless, always present till February 7th 

 in 1902, when he saw the last. As the " Discovery " left the southernmost area, the 

 species was noticed each day from February 19th to March 3rd, but on that day, 

 when among the Balleny Islands, the last of the icebergs was met with, and with 

 them Oceanites disappeared. Two days later, when in S. Lat. 6°, Cymodroma grallaria 

 occurred, and from that time became more and more abundant, apparently taking 

 the place of Wilson's Petrel (Wilson, Z. a). 



Dr. Wilson further records that this species was seen by sledging parties on more 

 than one occasion, on the ice plain of the Great Barrier, some sixty miles from open 

 water (78° 30' S. Lat.), but always on the wing, and apparently untiring. 



Professor Einar Lonnberg states that a flock of Storm-Petrels was observed by 

 the Swedish South-Polar Expedition in "Erebus and Terror" Gulf , in Louis Philippe 

 Land ; but whether the birds were all Oceanites oceanicus, or whether some of them were 

 Cymodroma melanogaster could not be determined, as all the specimens obtained 

 were lost (Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed. Siid-Polar Exped., V., PI. 5, p. 3, 1895). 



The species nests on Kerguelen Island, eggs having been discovered by the Rev. 

 A. E. Eaton during the " Transit of Venus " Expedition (cf. Sharpe, Phil. Trans., 

 Vol. CXLVIIL, p. 133). Dr. Kidder also met with it, but did not succeed in 

 finding the eggs (Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., II., p. 30, 1875). Mr. Robert Hall also found 

 many nests on Kerguelen Island during his visit from December, 1897, to February, 

 1898 (Ibis, 1900, p. 22). 



Wilson's Storm-Petrel was met with by the Scottish Antarctic Expedition under 

 the leadership of Dr. W. G. Bruce, when it was found breeding on the South Orkney 

 Islands (Eagle Clarke, Ibis, 1906, p. 168, PL X., Fig. 1). 



0. oceanicus is distributed over the southern oceans, occurring in the Australian 



43 



