igO Campbell and Mattingley, Rookery of Storm-Petrels. [ ,^i*'^" il 



a.m. The party and self went on shore to the island in the 

 middle of the bay, now called Cygnet (Mud) Island, where we 

 saw a great number of Black Swan. I was the first that killed 

 one on the island. We killed three and caught many alive, 

 and caught many Pelicans and sea-birds. Captain W. 

 and the Governor, with Mr. Tuckey, went on the west 

 side of the bay to procure water. Could not find any. On 

 the day before, the loth October, John Skilhorne, a free settler, 

 died, the first death of a white man in Victoria." To the Rev. 

 R. Knopwood, therefore, belongs the credit of being the first 

 "bird observer" on Mud Island, and from his account the 

 Black Swans should have been nesting there for them to have 

 caught so many alive. It is unlikely that moulting birds would 

 be found at that place — besides, the island was then called 

 " Cygnet " Island. 



Wading across the lagoon the southern rookery was reached, 

 and examination of the White-faced Storm-Petrels' burrows 

 revealed young birds in several stages of development. There were 

 tiny fat little fluffy balls of slaty-grey down from out of which 

 peeped a pair of beady black eyes situated behind a slender 

 black bill which was surmounted by the long tube nostrils 

 peculiar to the Petrel family. Most nestlings were to be found 

 more advanced, however. In many the abdomen had become 

 covered with white feathers interspersed with down, the 

 tail was beginning to show, and the primary wing feathers 

 were prominent. It was noticed, too, that the white abdominal 

 feathers had extended up to and over the pectoral muscles, 

 whilst the markings from which the bird derives its vernacular 

 name were showing up strongly through a {qw threads of 

 down. In the next stage of growth the whole of the feathers 

 were more strongly developed. The down, which freely covered 

 the wings, back, flanks, nape, and crown in the previous stage, 

 had almost disappeared, whilst the general contour of the 

 burrowling resembled that of its parents, although it was still 

 very fat. These birds had just been deserted by their parents 

 and left to their own devices. Whilst lying out in the rookery 

 at night some fully fledged birds were observed running 

 and flapping about the rookery, stimulated by the pangs of 

 hunger. It is owing to this that they gain sufficient muscular 

 development both in the legs and in the wings to enable them 

 in about a week's time to fly away one night with the adult 

 birds, who no doubt assist and encourage them. At sea they 

 use the feet almost as much as their wings, as they go tripping 

 along over the billows {vide Plate XVII.) It is owing to this last- 

 named fact that the members of the family to which they belong 

 have been called Petrels, after the apostle Peter. 



Up to the final stage the parents feed their offspring nightly 

 with about a teaspoonful of fishy, oily paste, principally com- 



