MAWSON EXPEDITION

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1028, 19 July 1930, Page 6

MAWSON EXPEDITION

STORIES BY EXPLORER AND SCIENTISTS AUCKLANDER’S PAPER Many important papers have been prepared by Sir Douglas Mawson and other members of his recent scientific research expedition to the Antarctic. One paper of particular interest is that by Mr. R. A. Falla, of Auckland, ornithologist to the expedition, who made a comprehensive study of bird life in the Antarctic and who tells of the peculiar. domestic virtues of the penguin and the lonely albatross. Serving as an introduction to the various papers is an article by Sir Douglas Mawson describing the voyage to the far south and the beginnings of the scientific work carried out. Early investigation showed that for the most part the floor of the ocean far from the land had only slight and gradual variations' in depth, although two remarkable exceptions were recorded. During the progress of coaling at Port Jeanne d’Arc, scientific excursions were conducted in the neighbourhood by land and by motorlaunch. Important additions to natural history collections resulted and corrections and additions to the map of the locality were made. Heard Island is still abundantly stocked with penguins and sea-elephants, and proved of great interest. There are still immense glaciers extending into the sea, from which icebergs break off from time to time". But great as they are today, the glaciers of the past have been still more extensive. Repeated recession of the ice is evidenced by parallel moraine mounds reaching several hundred feet in height. A single erratic examined was computed to weigh upward of 18.000 tons. After leaving Heard Island the complete oceanographic programme was in operation. Suitable opportunities were seized for conduct of vertical marine stations. These each embraced a standard series of observations. MR. FALLA’S PAPER In his paper on bird life, Mr. Falla writes that there was not one day upon which some birds were not seen and as far as possible a record was kept of species that could he recognised, and the approximate number and the direction of any definite migratory movement. The results show that even oceanic birds do not wander indiscriminately about the seven seas. Penguins at Possession Island were represented by a wellbuilt and vigorous race of Gentoo penguin, and a few of the smaller crested Rockhoppers which had not begun nesting. The lot of the young snowy albatross seemed a lonely one. Here and there on the bleak hillsides they sat in solitary state on raised mounds, surrounded by a moat of stagnant water. For them the days of “beakfeeding” were over and their next meal was due, when fully fledged, they would leave on their first flight to sea. Here, as elsewhere, there were Skua gulls, Dominican gulls, Giant Petrels and Sheathbills. Giant Petrels gorged themselves to such an extent on the offal of dead seals that they were actually incapable of flight for days at a time and could only wobble along sideways. HEARD ISLAND Heard Island was particularly interesting as a little-known region from the scientific point of view. Although it lies only about 200 miles south of Kerguelen, its bird life is characteristic of a colder zone and has" features in common actually with the more distant isles of Bouvet, South Georgia, and Macquarie. Its rugged heights are barren and ice-bound, and there is little enough shelter on the wind-swept lowlands. Suitable nesting places are few in number, and consequently overcrowded. Macaroni penguins nest, on steep, rocky faces from sea level to the most dizzy and incredible heights. Rockhoppers, which are almost as numerous, show preference for holes and caves in the lava, while the Gentoos on the flat, perch their nests on the tussock ridges between the mud-wallows of sea elephants. Other birds seen were King Penguins, several kinds of petrel, Sooty Albatrosses, and the usual scavengers. In the Antarctic regions proper, the •party met with the usual circumpolar birds. Emperor penguins and young Adelie penguins were everywhere on the pack-ice, the former regarding the ship with dignified interest, and the latter with ludicrous curiosity. Snow petrels, Antarctic petrels, and silver-grey fulmars were constant companions. From time to time also we saw immense flocks of Arctic terns, birds which so love the daylight that on the coming of the Arctic night they migrate to the regions of the long Antarctic summer day, said Mr. Falla. These terns were all in non-breeding plumage. The few rocky islands and capes which exist along this coast (from Enderby Land to the eastward) are practically all breeding stations. Conspicuous above everything else are the sights, sounds and smells of the Adelie penguin rookery, which extends from the ice-foot to e height of some 300 feet up the slope. They have been described often enough beVore and probably no description will ,aver do them full justice. There is sfc'rely no other bird in which various tVh'otional states are so obviously expjjpissed. and the rapid change from on's emotion to another provides an ele.tntßnt of continuous comedy. In the ac-tua.] facts of their lives there is tr.'a&edy enough. The young are always in danger from the attacks of skuas or from violent riots among the themselves, and the adults the water are preyed upon by sea l,«6>pards and killer whales. Except ior McCormick’s skua the remaining thirds of the rock are petrels. Snofcv petrels brood their helpless chicks imdeep, sheltered crevices. Antarctic petrols seek only breakwind shelter, but JJ»sy keep their young well covered. The Cape pigeons nesting nearby avtfe on ledges, and perhaps the most a&poaed of all. Wilson petrels, like bla«k and white butterflies, flit over ground, and if watched closely eeD be seen to disappear into the suLlftprranean crevices where the nests are Rv'dden. The secret of this abundant life in such a desolate region is, cY course, to be found in the sea, for fk hatever hardships the Antarctic may impose upon her creatures, danger of’ is not one of them. The stvOT of Antarctic birds, and of other* vertebrate animals, in relation to tl»# food supply, is one of the main liroblems of further research.