jOO) NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



everything rcquiied. Ou reacliiiig the locahty iu which the birds are 

 said to breed, we found that they were located ou a small island about 

 a mile from the shore, and access to which was impossible except by 

 boat. We were non-plussed ; we tried to get a boat from the blacks, 

 but they had none, and we were told that the nearest boat that they 

 knew of was owned by a small lishermau and boiuidary rider, who lived 

 about ten miles further on, so that to gain this we should have to walk 

 there, borrow the boat, and then come back to the place, after wluch 

 we should have to return the boat and come back on foot again — and 

 all this for only the cliance of seeing or getting auythiug, was not at 

 all encom'aging. My brother wanted to return, but I, being more 

 enthusiastic and also more experienced in roughing it, would not hear 

 of this, and consequently pushed ou, determined ' to do or die.' We 

 reached the tUlapidated abode of the fisherman on the morning of the 

 last day of the month, but what was our disappointment to find that 

 he had set out in the early morn boimdai-y riding, and would not return 

 till late that night. So there was nothing to do but stay here all day, 

 as his ' missus,' who was a black, could not give us the boat, but told us 

 we had better ' wait till the Boss came home.' He did not return till 

 late that night, and we had to make the best of it until morning by 

 stretching ourselves out, both wrapped up in a ' bluey,' so you may 

 imagine our feelings. But we were up pretty early next morning from 

 a rather restless night, and found our ' host ' was up before us and left 

 for the beach. We then had to chase him. After some conversation 

 on the boat subject, we learned that he had only got a small canoe, 

 and that it was uuseaworthy, but if we liked to risk our lives we could 

 have the loan of it. There was nothing for it but to run the risk, and 

 as it was getting late and we were pushed for time, we arranged to take 

 a black man and borrow a horse and cart from the fishennan. In this 

 way we reached the point oil the shore where we intended to launch 

 our little sluff. (In these regions, and at tliis time of the year, the 

 wind generally changes round from the land at about 1 o'clock p.m. 

 and blows a stiff gale from the seaward.) With all speed our flat- 

 bottom skiff was placed in the water, but it was found that two wovdd 

 be the utmost of its carrying powers, as it was only eight inches deep. 

 Accordingly I took the black man and set off for the island, leaving 

 my brother behind to look after the horse and cart. On arriving near 

 the island, I could see the Pelicans sitting about on a bare piece of 

 ground about the middle of the island ; also a few Black Swans and 

 White-breasted Connorants, but it was not luitil I had landed that 

 I could see their eggs. Tlie birds rose in a body, and after circling 

 about for a minute or two, went dovra into the water and started 

 fishing. Tiie island was somewhat elevated in the centre, and the birds 

 had taken possession of a bare patch, running from almost the water's 

 edge to the summit, with an aspect so that the sun would .shine on them 

 from early morning to evening. The extent of their nesting grounds 

 was not very gi-eat, only about twelve or foiu-tecn yards broad and about 

 eigliteen or twenty yards up the incline. Incubation was far advanced 

 in some eggs, and in others it was early iu the season, for some of the 

 young were out of the shell several days, while others had only just 



