Qig NESTS AND EGGS OF AVSTl^AUAN BIRDS. 



689. — Prion ariel, Gould. — (642) 

 FAIRY DOVE PETREL OR PRION. 



Figure. — 



Hejerence. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxv., p. 436. 



Eggs. — Described as those of P. turtur (desolatus). 



Geogra[i]iira^ Distrihution. — Seas of New South. Wales, Victoria, 

 South Australia, and Tasmania; also New Zealand and Southern 

 Ocean, generally between 35 deg. and 60 deg. south latitudes. 



Nest. — A small hole luider ground, in crevice of rock or upon the 

 ground underneath rank vegetation, such as pig-face weed (Me^em- 

 hrianfhemiim), &c., on isolated rocks or islets. 



Eyys. — Clutch, one; inchned to oval in shape, occasionally elliptical; 

 textiu'e of shell fine ; surface witliout gloss ; colour, pure white. Dimen- 

 sions of six examples from, Noi'th-east Island, Bass Strait : (1) 1'78 x 1-29' 

 (2; 1-78 X 1-19, (3) 1-72 x 1-23, (4) 1-71 x 1-27, (5) 1-68 x 1-24, 

 (6) 1-6JX 1-25. 



Ohnervrifioiu. — The usual habitat of this Dove Petrel is the Southern 

 seas, between 35 deg. and 60 deg. south latitude. Gould prociu'ed many 

 examples (including the type) of tliis bird in Bass Strait on the 16th 

 April, 1839, where many were flying around him. 



It was in Bass Strait that I enjoyed my experience with these most 

 delicately pliunaged birds. On the 24th November, 1890, dufing the 

 expedition of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria to Kent Group, 

 we pulled away from the main island in a whale boat, the principal 

 light-keeper, Mr. Charles Brown, being in chai-ge, for North-east Island, 

 which had not been visited for seven or more years. Fortunately the 

 sea was cabn, for the landing there is a difficult matter. Approaching 

 the island, we saw it was about half a mile across and between 200 feet 

 and 300 feet high — a huge, coa.rse, gi'anite rock, with beetling walls all 

 round. We steered for a slight indentation, which seemed oiu' only 

 chance by iwhich to scramble to the summit. Tlie rocks were prettily 

 decorated with grey-coloiu^ed lichens and bright-green pig-face weed, 

 which, with large, stany, white flowers, trailed over in parts the ledges 

 of rocks. Amongst other birds — Mutton Birds, Gulls, Oyster Catcliers, 

 &c. — we found this place a breeding home of the chai'ming little Fairy 

 Dove Petrel. It was breeding in numbci-s in the crevices of rock or 

 iuid(!r the densely-matted stems and roots of tlie pig-face weed. Several 

 birds and many eggs (the latter in. an advanced state of incubation) were 

 secured. 



This bird has been discovered breeding in other parts of the 

 Strait, notably on Albatross Rock, where Messrs. D. Le Souef and 

 H. P. C. Ashworth found them in 1894, Craggy Island, and other spots. 



We believed the.so birds at first to be Prion dcxoldtii^, wiiich the 

 P. ariel resembles much in colour and general appeai'aiice, but the 



