gi2 WESTS ANV EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Gould found the Cape Petrel extremely tame and numerous ofE the 

 south coast of Tasmania. He had no doubt that the bird constantly 

 circumnavigates the globe, from the fact that individuals which had 

 been caught, marked, and again set at liberty had been found following 

 vessels for hundreds of miles for the sake of the offal thrown overboard. 



Like most Petrels, the Cape Petrel ejects, when in-itated, an oily 

 substance from its mouth. Its notes are a feeble " cac, cac, cac, cac," 

 frequently uttered, the tliii-d being pronounced the shortest. It weighs 

 fom-teen to eighteen ounces. Total length, 16i inches. 



Notliing is known of the breeding economy of the pretty Cape 

 Petrel. It is reported to breed on Tristan d'Acunha — a statement 

 improbable — and on the iisland of South Georgia. 



Professor Moseley mentions that when the "Challenger" was 

 anchored off Heard Island, one of the Macdonald Group, 240 miles 

 south-east of Kerguelen, the bay was thronged with Cape Pigeons 

 {Bcvpiion cajjensis), wliich were mostly feeding on the water at the 

 mouth of a glacier stream. They were breeding in holes in the low 

 basaltic cliffs. Date, 6th Febniary, 1874. 



Dr. Sharpe states, " that the Cape Petrel breeds on Kerguelen Island 

 is proved by the following note in Sir J. Hooker's Joimial : — ' It builds 

 in sheltered ledges of cliffs, about 50 to 100 feet above the level of the 

 sea. I foimd two in a nest, but quite matm'C. Its note is a short, 

 hoarse croak.' " 



Although the eggs of the Cape Petrel have not yet been described, 

 I am enabled, through the kindness of Mr, Robert Hall, to give a re- 

 production of an exceedingly interesting photograph taken by him of a 

 pair of birds on their nest among the rocks of Kerguelen Land. 



In wilting to the "Ibis" (p. 28, 1900)' Mr. Hall states:— "At 

 Accessible (Betsy Cove), on February 7th, I ob.sei-ved four nests, each 

 with a young one partially covered with down. The nests were in the 

 cavities of a rough cliff, and were simply hollows, without any attempt 

 to place weeds in them. I saw two adults sitting in a sheltered nook, 

 without egg or young; and one of these birds was pla^'ing little stones, 

 one by one, aroimd it with the bill, as if to make the nesting place 

 comfortable. These cavities or gi'ottoes (approximately 6x3x3 feet) 

 were about 50 feet above sea<-level, and by stooping I could get inside 

 them, except in one case. A little climb brought me to an old bird, 

 which clucked and made its trill ; and I surprised another on its nest 

 but it did not fly, though it vigorO'U.sly defended its young, and jumped 

 backward and forward. The young may be described thus: — Length, 

 12-75 inches; down, generally greyish above, gi-evish-white below; 

 bill, black." 



