NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. gn 



Sound, which had long been an enigma to us, were discovered on Long 

 Island by a shooting party from the ' Volage,' on the 23rd December. 

 The nests (according to the statements of the officers) were of a similar 

 make to those of the Albatross, and contained half-grown nestlings. 

 They were constructed above the gi'ound amongst Azorella, about 200 

 yards from the sea, not very far from each other. There were two 

 groups of them on the south-west side of the island, each containing 

 about thirtv nests, wliich were situated on the upper parts of very 

 gradual slopes. One of the nestlings was brought off to the ship. It 

 was about as large as a Cochin fowl. Whenever anybody walked past, 

 it ejected oil from its mouth to the distance of a yard, after the manner 

 of Petrels ; on this account it was summarily set upon and despatched. 

 Its down was veiy dense and thick, and fonned a regular jacket, 

 beneath which the yoimg feathers were well-developed. Dr. Ganod, 

 of the Zoological Society, on dissecting it, found portions of two Prions' 

 skulls in its crop." 



Coming neai-er home, the eggs of the Giant Petrel in my collection 

 are from Macquarie Island, a bold and desolate spot about 650 miles 

 south-west by south from New Zealand, where these birds breed in 

 small rookeries from September to November. 



684. — D.vPTioN CAPENSis, LimiaBus. — (640) 

 CAPE PETREL. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of .Australia, fol., vol. vii., pi. 53. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxv., p. 42S. 



Geogrn plural Diyfrihufinn. — Seas of Quecns'aud, New South Wales, 

 Victoria, South and West Austraha. and Tasmania ; also New Zealand 

 and Southern Ocean in general, north to Ceylon and to the coast of 

 Peru. 



Xfst. — See " Observations." 



Egg^. — TJndescribed. 



Ohxrrvntion!;. — This Petrel, with beautifully mottled upper surface 

 and snow-white under parts, frequents the southern seas, and is the 

 familiar " Cape Pigeon " of voyagers. It has been noticed o£P the 

 coasts of all the Australian States, except perhaps in the north. On 

 the western coast a few usually appear every winter. It is also foimd 

 numeroiis at most seasons of the year in New Zealand waters. These 

 romantic birds are evidently fond of the far south. Tlie " Challenger " 

 Expedition occasionally saw a flock of Cape Pigeons roosting on the 

 top of an iceberg, while Sir James Ross noted a flock of young birds 

 Januarv. 1841, near Victoria Land. 



