GOOSE ISLAND. 73 



scanty vegetation is apparently limited to a grass 

 gTowing- in tussocks^ and a few maritime plants. 

 The ground resembles a rabbit warren^ being* every- 

 where midermined by the bmTows of the mutton- 

 bird^ a dark shearwater [Piiffiuus hrevicaudus), the 

 size of a pig'eon. A person in walking- across the 

 island can scarcely avoid frequently stumbling* 

 among" these burrows^ from the earth g*iving* Avay 

 under his feet^ and I Avas told by one of the residents 

 that snakes are very numerous in these holes^ living* 

 upon the mutton-birds; I m3^self trod upon one 

 which^ fortunately^ was too slug*g'ish to escape be- 

 fore I had time to shoot it^ and ascertain it to be the 

 well known '' black snake'' of the Australian colonists 

 (AcanfJwijJiis Toi^tor)^ a very poisonous species. 

 Among* the sea fowl; a larg*e ^\}\{{Larus Pacificus), 

 was exceeding-ly plentiful^ tog-ether with a smaller one 

 (Xevia Jamesonii), and a few penguins {Splmiiscus 

 minor), A fine flock of wild gee^e {Cereopsis JYovcb 

 Hollancli(B)yy^2i^ seen^ but they were too wary to allow 

 of close approach. About dusk clouds of mutton- 

 birds came in from the sea^ and we amused ourselves 

 with chasing* them over the ground among* their 

 burrows^ and as many specimens as I required were 

 speedily provided by knocking them down with a 

 stick. As usual with the Petrel family they bite 

 severely if incautiously handled^ and disgorge a 

 quantity of offensive oily matter^ the smell of which 

 pervades the whole island_, and which the clothes I 

 then wore retained for a long time afterwards. 



