5 
Birds of Kerguelen Island. 
investigating the local distribution of the seals, and, having 
finished our lunch, we were surprised to see a flock of 18 
Ducks rise in the distance and settle close to us, and when 
we sank into a “ dip,” almost hidden from tlieir view, they 
actually walked to the edge and looked into our faces. 
When I was alone the birds were not at all shy, for it was to 
my advantage to go along so quietly that I always wandered 
among their families without giving them much concern. 
Occasionally I would flush one, and knew then that its 
anxiety was for the rest; or, if it feigned to be wounded, its 
device was to save a duckling, though, as a rule, the young 
one knew how to protect itself in the grasses. I followed 
one old bird for 150 yards, merely to test its deluding power, 
and then it gaily flew away. 
I was interested in seeing Ducks at work along the tiny 
brooks, raising all the grass in an area of about 30 or 40 
yards in search of food, or following the quickly-falling 
course to unearth the tender roots. I noticed them princi¬ 
pally on low ground; they were not so numerous at greater 
elevations, such as Thumb Peak, 1500 feet. On the wing 
the note is a quack, or rather a wheezing noise. The Ducks 
are scared by the Skua, and rise at once when one flies over 
them; but the Skuas do not seem to catch them, for I never 
saw any of their remains. Yet they are timid birds, as I 
judged by noticing the effect of a falling rock below a cliff; 
they stretched their necks, and for some time did not con¬ 
tinue to feed, while other species were not in the least con¬ 
cerned. Many nests were found in patches of Acaena , where 
they were nicely sheltered below the leaves. Dr. Kidder has 
observed that the eggs were generally covered with grasses 
by the birds when they left the nests. This applies to his finds 
in patches of Azurella , where the precaution is necessary; 
but among the Acaena it is not needed, owing to the springy 
nature of the grass. The eggs were never covered before the 
nest was left. Only the sides and edges of the nests were 
made of down, as a rule ; the exception was merely a hollow, 
scantily or not at all feathered. Generally the nests are 
carefully hidden, but in two cases the eggs were quite exposed, 
with very little down around them (December 28th). One 
