Blue-fish, Snoek (Thyrsites atun), Mackerel (Scomber colias), Five finger (Chilodactylus fasciatus Lac), Soldier-fish, Craw-fish and Klip-fish. The southern blue whale is occasionally seen, as are also seals and sea-elephants. Sharks are common, and several were caught from the ship whilst lying off Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands.
We arrived at Gough Island on May 27th. At first sight it appears as a green island clothed in verdure. As we approached the western side we saw a number of birds, prions, wandering albatross, mollymauks, a diving petrel, skua gulls and terns. Both Phoebetria cornicoides and P. fusca were seen. After rounding south-west and south points few birds were seen except skua gulls and terns, and they were not common. No albatross were seen on the eastern side during the whole of our visit. Just after passing south-east point Wilkins saw what he thought was a noddy tern (Anous stolidus), which was previously reported as visiting the island. Immediately on landing on the Glen beach buntings (Nesospiza goughensis) came tamely about, but did not let themselves be caught by hand. Numbers were seen feeding on flies, which swarmed in the decaying seaweed, and also inland, where they were seen on the stems of tussock grass or clinging to the branches of the tea plant (Chenopodium tomentosum). They were found everywhere up to the level of the thicker vegetation, which ends at about 2,000 feet. There are two types: one, black-throated and mouse-coloured; the other, light and dark brown, with yellowish markings. They were feeding together, and seen to be in about equal numbers and of equal size.
On every part of the island visited the sharp “Chuck! chuck!” of water hens could be heard, and several were shot for specimens. They were shy, and at sight of man hastened in amongst the tussock grass, where it was impossible to see them. The frontal shield is bright red; bill and feet, bright yellow; plumage, black and cinnamon. All parts of the Glen which gave a sufficient depth of earth and which were not overgrown with trees were honeycombed with the burrows of different kinds of petrels. They did not come out by daylight, but their croaking frequently betrayed them, and in this way several specimens were added to the collection, These included Priofinus cinereus and broad-billed prions (Pachyptila vittata Keyteli). At night a large fire was lighted on the beach, and several specimens were shot as they flew inwards through the light. Some of them fell into the tussock grass, and in the dark could not be found. In the morning, when taken up, they were seen to have been almost entirely picked to pieces and eaten by mice, which swarmed in large numbers at the foot of the Glen. These mice are the ordinary Mus musculus, and were no doubt introduced by earlier landing parties. On several parts of the island were large penguin rookeries, deserted at this time of year except for a few straggling Rockhoppers (Eudyptes chrysocome). The thrush, common on Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands, was not seen at all on Gough Island. No albatross or mollymauk nests were seen, but there might have been some on the north-west side, which is the most exposed to the winds, and thus most likely to be selected by these birds.
The collection of birds from Gough Island numbered over fifty specimens, referable to nine species:
Garrodia Nereis Chubbi (Matthews), which was shot as it flew over the light of the camp fire.
Priofinus cinereus, found in burrows on the hill.
Oestrelata mollis (Gould), found in burrows near the beach. Their croakings could be heard all night.
Pachyptila vittata Keyteli (Matthews), found as above. From the noise they were making there must have been many in the neighbourhood of the camp.
Stercorarius antarcticus (Lesson). Skuas were not common, and only about twenty were seen during the visit.
Sterna vittata (Reich). Many terns were seen, both in adult and juvenile plumage.