During our second visit to South Georgia Mr. Hansen, the manager of Leith Harbour Whaling Station, showed us a porpoise which had leapt ashore. It was coloured bluey black and dirty white; total length, 53½ inches; tip of nose to blowhole, 6 inches; tip of nose to dorsal fin, 17½ inches; tip of nose to flippers, 9 inches. It has been provisionally determined as Phocaena dioptrica.
Small shore-life in South Georgia comprises flies, found along the beaches and breeding in the semi-rotting seaweed cast up by the tide; several forms of spiders, beetles (Hydromedion), mites (Bdella), tiny jumping flies, and an earth worm (Acanthrodilus).
Vegetation ashore is very scarce, the only grass which grows in evident quantity being the tussock grass (Poa flabellata). The naturalist was able to collect specimens of plants referable to sixteen species, but many of them were marine algae.
Seventeen reindeer which were brought to the island in the years 1911 and 1912 have increased and multiplied to such an extent that there were about 250 when we were there, and this notwithstanding the fact that the whalers have periodically killed numbers for food. Wilkins examined the stomachs of some that were killed, and found them normal in size, not distended, as usually happens when the food is of poor quality.
The Quest left South Georgia on January 18th, 1922. A few miles out from the coast we passed thousands of whale birds (Prion) feeding on the surface of the water, probably upon crustaceæ, which were so plentiful that the sea was highly coloured. Cape pigeons, Wilson petrels, sooty albatross and a number of mollymauks came about the ship, but wandering albatross were conspicuously absent at this stage. On the second day we met snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea), which remained intermittently with us till our return to South Georgia.
On January 20th we visited Zavodovski Island. The slopes were covered with Ringed penguins, and the beaches under the glaciers were occupied by a number of King penguins. Fumes were issuing from caves on the eastern side of the island, and it was noticed that the penguins kept clear of them. Many Giant petrels flew round the ship, and a number were seen resting ashore. Cape pigeons, Wilson petrels and a blue petrel were noticed in the vicinity of the island. As we turned farther south prions became more scarce, but Wilson petrels and Cape pigeons kept up in numbers. The light-mantled sooty albatross seen in these areas was conspicuously light-phased, and became markedly so in the more southern latitudes. Silver-grey petrels (Priocella glacialoides) were first seen in lat. 57° S. and 15° E. long. They were observed throughout the voyage till we returned to South Georgia, where the naturalist obtained some specimens.
In lat. 58° S. we met the Antarctic petrel (Thalassoeca antarctica). They occurred in groups of ten or fifteen, but never in large numbers, as seen in the Ross Sea. In this latitude also an occasional Sooty petrel (Oestrelata macroptera) was seen, and a species of whale bird, classed temporarily by the naturalist as Prion desolatus. We saw a Cape hen in lat. 61° S., and a Giant petrel after we had crossed the circle; the latter is very rare in the Antarctic proper. One of the latter seen in 67° S. had a very white phase.
In lat. 68° S. Arctic terns were noticed. Some of them were already (on February 8th) beginning to change their plumage, the dark cap in many cases being streaked with grey. Emperor Penguins (Aptenodytes Forsteri) were seen in numbers south of lat. 67° S., but, taken on the whole, were not common throughout the trip. They are the “farthest south” penguins. Numbers of cheery little Adelies were seen in greatest numbers near “Ross’s Appearance of Land.” Crab-eater Seals (Lobodon carcinophagus) were seen in large numbers about the pack edge, especially in those parts where the ice showed marked diatomaceous bands. Often as many as a dozen of these seals were seen on a single small floe heaving up and down on the swell. Killer whales were present in numbers at the time we were in the pack, and were frequently seen in the open leads. The Crab-eaters, on the other hand, seemed to avoid the larger leads of open water. On February 13th we had occasion to kill a number of Crab-eaters, when each female was found to be pregnant, the fœtus varying in length from one to three inches. Sea-leopards were seen, but were rare.
We visited Elephant Island on March 28th, and effected landings at Cape Lookout and on a narrow beach at the western end of the northern coast. Animal life is scarce, and plants are confined to a lichen, which grows on some of the rocks on the sides facing north, and a species of moss. The bird life consists of Gentoo, Ringed and Rockhopper penguins, the latter being very scarce; seabirds, including Cape pigeons, Skua gulls, Dominican gulls, Blue-eyed shags (all of them plentiful), and Mollymauks and Giant petrels (more rare). The Paddy, or Sheathbill (Chionis alba), is plentiful.
The Ringed penguins made their rookeries on steep rock-faces close to the sea, and spent many patient hours in climbing up and down from their positions, hopping carefully from ledge to ledge. The Gentoos selected easier slopes. Rarely a Gentoo was found in a Ringed rookery, but Ringed were found fairly frequently among the Gentoos. The Paddies haunted the rookeries, their food being obtained largely from the excreta of penguins, from which they pick small round worms or nematodes, with which the penguins are infested. The stomach and intestines of the Paddies themselves are wonderfully free from parasites. They eat readily of any offal which may be lying about. Those which remained during the winter were very thin, due to the departure of the majority of penguins. Numerous seals and sea-elephants were lying on the beaches. On the rocks are dark-shelled limpets (Patella polaris), which never come above low-water mark; no doubt they would freeze to death in the colder air.