254 SCOTT'S LAST EXPEDITION [May 
Had an interesting walk. One can go at least a mile 
up the glacier slope before coming to crevasses, and it 
docs not appear that these would be serious for a good 
way farther. The view is magnificent, and on a clear 
day like this, one still enjoys some hours of daylight, or 
rather twilight, when it is possible to see everything 
clearly. 
Have had talks of the curious cones which are such a 
feature of the Ramp — they are certainly partly produced 
by ice and partly by weathering. The ponds and various 
forms of ice grains interest us. 
To-night have been naming all the small land features 
of our vicinity. 
Tuesday, May z. — It was calm yesterday. A balloon 
was sent up in the morning, but only reached a mile in 
height before the instrument was detached (by slow 
match). 
In the afternoon went out with Bowers and his pony 
to pick up instrument, which was close to the shore in 
the South Bay. Went on past Inaccessible Island. The 
ice outside the bergs has grown very thick, 14 inches or 
more, but there were freshly frozen pools beyond the 
Island. 
In the evening Wilson opened the lecture series with 
a paper on ' Antarctic Flying Birds.' Considering the 
limits of the subject the discussion was interesting. The 
most attractive point raised was that of pigmentation. 
Does the absence of pigment suggest absence of reserve 
energy ? Does it increase the insulating properties of the 
hair or feathers ? Or does the animal clothed in white 
