l\rESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. gi^ 



nodules; coloiu-, jnue white. Dimensions in inches of a scries from 

 Kergiielen Island: (1) 1-99 x 14, (2) 1-98 x 1-29, (3) 1-93 x 1-39, 

 (4) 1-92 X 1-35, (5) 1- 9 X 1-32, (6) 1-87 x 1-45, (7) 1-82 x 1-32, 

 (8) 1-78 x 1-75. 



Observations. — The chaiining little Dove Petrel is extremely abundant 

 on the New Zealand coast. Sir Walter Buller states : " In boisterous 

 weather it appears to suffer more than any other oceanic species from 

 the fuiy of the tempest, and the sea beach is sometimes found literally 

 strewn with the bodies of the dead and dying. I have frequently 

 watched them battling, as it were, with the stonn, till at length, unable 

 longer to keep to windward, they have been mercilessly borne down 

 upon the sands, and, being unable from sheer exhaustion to rise on the 

 wing again, have been beaten to death by the rolling siu-f, or pounced 

 upon and devovu-ed by a hovering Seagull. On picking some up and 

 placing them in the pocket of my overcoat they have soon revived, and 

 in some instances have lived for several days on a diet of fresh meat 

 minced into small pieces. From the activity they always exhibited 

 on the approach of night, seeking the dark comers of the room, and 

 fluttering about in a vei-y excited manner, with a rapid twittering note, 

 I concluded tliat, whether on land or at sea, this Petrel is more nocturnal 

 than diiu-nal in its habit.s. During the day the eyes were always half 

 closed, imparting a peculiar fretful expression to the face." 



Mentioning New Zealand, Reischek foimd the Dove Petrel breeding 

 m holes undergi-omid on both the Little Ban-ier and the Chickens 

 Islands, where, however, it appeared scarce, and was only met with on 

 the liighest wooded ridges in the centre of the island. Mr. Reischek found 

 a fresh egg on the 1st November, and young birds in the beginning of 

 December. 



Mr. H. H. Travers is said to have obtained this species on the 

 Chatham Islands, where it occurs in immense numbers. It breeds in 

 holes in the ground, laying its eggs in a nest, composed of a few dead 

 leaves ; both parents assist in incubation. Whilst on Mangare Island, 

 Mr. Travers frequently found these Prions caught in the branches of 

 scrubby trees, where, it is supposed, the birds were caught while 

 attempting to escape from the Sea Hen ( Megdh.itrix). 



According to the Rev. A. E. Eaton's observations, on Kerguelen, 

 the buiTow of this Dove-like Prion resembled a. rat hole, being usually 

 made in herbage growing upon dry, rocky slopes or stony groimd. The 

 egg is laid upon loose debi-is of Azorella or on the bare gi'ound. The 

 birds were paii-ing in October, fresh eggs being obtained the 29tli 

 November ; but I think it must be a mistake tliat most of the nestlings 

 had flowai before the end of Februaiy, because Mr. Hall obsei-ved that 

 tlu-oughout January (1898) only about ten per cent, of the eggs were 

 much incubated. 



