'■'''>< DIOMKDKIJI.H. 



The single egg of this species is deposited at the eiihirged end of a burrow in the earth, or 

 sandy soil, from one to two feet in length ; sometimes these l>urrows are branched, and in them 

 have been frequently found pairs of birds. Diving Petrels were found breeding on North-east 

 Island by the members of a party from the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, who paid a visit 

 to the Kent Group, in Bass Strait, during November, i8qo. Tliey were too late, however, to 

 obtain more than a few eggs, the barrows at that time containing mostly young birds nearly 

 fledged. The eggs vary in shape from oval to rounded oval ; others are nearly a true ellipse in 

 form, and some are somewhat abruptly pointed atone end, the shell being close-grained, dull 

 and lustreless. When newly laid they are pure white, but some become more or less stained 

 and soiled, and are of a dirty leaden-hue as they approach the time of hatching. Average 

 specimens measure as follows: — Length (A) 1-48 x 1-23 inches; (B) i-6 x 1-2 inches; (C) 

 1-53 X 1-2 inches. Four eggs received from Mr. G. A. Keartland, and talien by Mr. Joseph 

 Gabriel, on the 12th November, 1895,00 North-east Island, Kent Group, Bass Strait, measure: — 

 Length (A) 1-67 x 1-3 inches; (B) 173 x 1-3 inches; (C) 17 x 1-28 inches; (D) 1-83 x 1-32 

 inches. 



October, November and December are the usual breeding months on the islands of Bass 

 Strait, and those off the North-western coast of Tasmania and Southern Tasmania. That this 

 Petrel may breed a second time, or possibly another colony of birds may have a different 

 breeding time, is proved by Mr. (_)ldham finding it laying in August, igoj, on the White Rock, 

 on the eastern coast of Tasmania. 



Family DIOMEDEID^. 



<3-en.i:is ma:u^i_.-<?i.ssocs-E;i20isr, Ru/yf>nu/. 

 Thalassogeron cautus. 



SUV ALBA'ri.'dSS. 

 Diotnediii riinln, Gould, Proe. Zool. Soc, 1S40, p. 177: i<l , lid.s. Austr., fol. Vol. Vll., pi. -10 

 (I84S) ; id., Haiidl)k. lids. Au.str., Vol, II., p. 4:i4 (l.sG.O). 



Tlialass<iiii-riri,(:antii,s, iiAWin,i>Ai. Bd.s. Brit. Mus., Vol. XXV., p. 449 (I.S96); Sharpe, Hand-1. 

 Bds., Vol. I., p. 128 (1899). 



Adult male. — Hfad, neck, /mn'r bac/,\ tipper lail-corer/s, nrul //le entire under surface ivhite ; 

 a s/reid,- in, front, of the eye ffreyis/i-h/i/ck, ihirker next lite eye, nnicli piiler touMirda the itidesof the, upper 

 mandiHe ; tlie Jeatliers heloiv the eye shf/hlli/ tinged ndtli grey ; hack, scapndars and n-iiigs tlark ashy- 

 grey, the ends of the qui/ls nearly Idack : the iipper parts of hack slaty-grey, and gradually passim/ 

 into u'liite itn tJie lower portion, of the hind-neek: tail grey ish-lirown, darker at tlie tip: hill light 

 grey, cnbneii yelhnr, base of hill hlack n^ith a hand of dark orange -next the base of lowe.r mandible ; 

 legs aiid feet llesliy n-liite tinged until liln,e : iris hrou'u. 7'otal length in the flesh :l 'p,5 inches, wing 

 '.tl, tail S75, hill .7, tarsus J4. 



Adult FKM.\LK. — Srindn,r in. pluninife to the mole. 



IMstrilmlion. — Tasmanian Seas, Bass Strait, South-eastern Australian Seas. 

 •'(?r\ Ol'LD described the type of tliis species in the " Proceedings of the Zoological Society 



V A. of London," under the name of Dioincdca cauta, and subseijuently figured it in his folio 



edition of the " Birds of Australia," in I1S48. It has been urged, since its breeding haunts have 

 been discovered on an island off the north-western coast of Tasmania, that its specific name is 

 a misnomer, for generally it has to be driven, or lifted off its nest, to obtain its egg. So have 

 many more species of sea birds, and land birds also, wary enough except when engaged in 

 incubating their eggs or broodmg their young. TaK-e for instance Sida cydunfs and .Slcnuj fidii^inosa 

 among the former, and Rhipidnva alhiscapa and Ori^ma ruhricata among the latter. 



