Vol. XVIII 

 1919 



'I Whitlock, Birds Breeding in Dumpier Archipelago. 24I 



and of a very large colony of Pied Cormorants. In mentioning 

 these matters it is only fair to add that the survey of Barrow 

 Island is incomplete, and probably only approximate. I propose 

 the names of Osprey Island for the larger island and Cormorant 

 Island for the smaller one. 



When, in October and November of last year, I paid a flying 

 visit to Barrow Island, the breeding season, as far as land-birds 

 were concerned, was over, and, as my chief concern was to reach 

 the island as quickly as possible, little opportunity occurred of 

 paying attention to the smaller islands passed en route. I was 

 greatly struck with the number of the larger birds of prey 

 observed, notably the White-bellied Sea-Eagle {Haliceetiis leuco- 

 gaster) and the White-headed Osprey {Pandion leiicocephalus), 

 and I hoped at some future date to pay a visit to the Archipelago 

 when these species should be breeding. This hope was realized 

 during the present season, when Mr. H. L. White, of Belltrees, 

 N.S.W., asked me to undertake a more extended trip amongst the 

 islands, making Barrow Island mv chief objective, as before. 

 Mr. White and Mr. J. H. Bettington, of Merriwa, N.S.W\, financed 

 the expedition. 



I left Cossack on 4th July in a twenty-foot sailing boat, with 

 one Japanese boatman, and landed on Barrow Island eleven days 

 later. I was somewhat delayed by strong south-easterly winds, 

 which raised a big sea at times, and, as a dinghy was being towed 

 behind, my boatman was cautious. These delays, however, gave 

 me opportunities of landing on the islands where we were 

 sheltering, and I had many interesting experiences with nesting 

 Sea-Eagles and Ospreys. 



The following notes do not purport to be more than a brief 

 account of the birds I found breeding in the Dampier Archipelago 

 during the months of July and August, 1918. Other sea-birds 

 were present, especially Terns. Angle Island showed signs of a 

 colony about to take up its residence there for breeding purposes. 

 I did not get a chance to obtain a specimen, so cannot say with 

 certainty what they were. Brown Gannets were seen in small 

 numbers, and a small flock of Frigate Birds was seen circling 

 above Legendrc Island, and I watched, at close quarters, a 

 Darter {Plotus novce-hollandice) drying its wings whilst perched 

 on the handrail of a bridge near Cossack. 



With regard to animal life, I found wallabies and bandicoots 

 very plentiful on Barrow Island. The latter w^ere quite a nuisance 

 at my camp, and I was much disturbed at night by their coming 

 into my tent. Shooting them w^as no good, but I eventually 

 beat them by surrounding the tent with some sheets of corrugated 

 iron which I disinterred from the wreck of an old hut. 



Whilst engaged in watching Spinif ex-Birds after sunset, I 

 frequently saw rats of a very small species, but they were too 

 quick for me to get a good look at them. 



Whales were frequently seen during the boat voyage — often 

 close enough to distinguish a young one swimming by the side 



