loii] SKUAS' K(^(;S 253 
natcly \vc couUln't dccido on n stnkt\ Mttnoy was no itsc. 
Wo should gel an\' \oix\ \\c liked w lien w e y^oi on boartl. 
Mlran sui^^ested the first lusth lor tiu- wiiuuM'. Hut this 
though very sensible didn't eateh on, lor as we ha\'e no 
clean elotlies probabU' we won't waste lime on it ! 
'I'he next lew daws, sled^inL; on the sea iee was 
inipossible, st> I deeuled ttt sai'ww and eoUeel near our 
headcjuarters. 1 took ani.;les lor the latilnde and longitude 
of Cape (Ieolo»;y (obtainin*; 16^" .p/) and was alile to 
ct)rrolM>rate our sledi^t-nieter record as to (he correct 
position of (Iranite Harbour. Debenhani auil (iran 
clindH'd to iJie Jiigliest jmint ot the Reiide/Aous libill and 
fountl its Jieii(lit to be 16^. |. teet. 'V\\c\ saw open water 
oil the harbour. 
Tlic skuas now commenced (o la \'. (nan sa id t lia t 
lie gol his hist egg Irom a nest hall lull id water, and 
declared tlia t the bird looked ni ucli relieved when lier 
uncomfortable charge was removet^L 'I'wo ol the nests 
which I saw seemed to show laiut signs ol iuteUigence on 
tlie part of tlic owners. In [dace of a mere hole in the 
wet gravel one hatl about twenty long leathers arranged 
round the edge while the other was improvetl by the 
addition of some tlried moss which, the birti hail jacked 
from a foot away. 1 am atraid this intellectual activit)' 
on their part did not preserve their eggs ! 
We boiled four and I tastetl my lirst Antarctic egg. 
They are the si/x' of a small lien's egg, brown in colour witli 
black, tawny and bulf llecks on them, 'i'hey iiave not so 
much taste as those of the common h)vvl ami the albumen 
is translucent and bluisii. TJicy were very good and 1 
