BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 159 



dead and flattened adult Occanitcs. Outside, as we worked, a 

 fourth bird was hovering, which, when shot, proved to be an adult 

 male. It has long been known that with this species the nesting 

 burrow is often used by more than a single pair. The fresh egg 

 was preserved, the rotten one fell to pieces, and the three birds 

 were preserved. 



"The burrows are not very difficult to discover, for one's 

 attention is drawn to them by the habit the bird has of hovering 

 round the entrance in the evening hours, and settling there without 

 actually going in, and also sometimes by the twittering of the 

 bird within. They are often quite inaccessible without a rope, 

 even when located, but on the other hand they ma}' be almost on 

 level ground. 



" The flight of the bird is peculiarly attractive in these barren 

 wastes of snow and rock, chiefly perhaps from its resemblance to 

 the flight of the farriiliar Martin, for it flits here and there exactly 

 as though in search of insects on the wing. Occasionally it sails on 

 outstretched wings. The power of flight must be very wonderful, 

 for it seems to spend its lifetime on the wing." 



*GREY-BACKED STOllM-PETKEL 



(Garrodia nereis, Gould). 



Male. — Upper surface, including head and neck, dark ashy- 

 grey; rump and upper tail coverts a little lighter; tail feathers 

 ashy-grey, with a terminal bar of black ; primaries and secondaries 

 black, shaded with ashy-grey ; throat and chest dusky-brown ; rest 

 of under surface white ; bill, legs, and feet black. Dimensions in 

 mm. :— Length, 180; bill, 12; wing, 130; tail, 69; tarsus, 30. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Young. — "Differs from the adult in having hoary-white 

 margins to the feathers of the back and scapulars, as well as the 

 upper wing coverts and tail coverts, the latter thus showing a 

 dusky-black subterminal bar" (F. Du Cane Godman). 



Nest. — The nests discovered by Dr. Kidder on Kerguelen 

 Island were placed under overhanging clumps of grass and " Ker- 

 guelen tea" (Accena ascendens) in low, swampy ground near the 

 sea." Mr. Percy Seymour informed the late Sir W. Buller that 

 the nests were placed in buiTows resembling rat-holes, about 15 

 inches deep. 



Eggs. — Clutch one; oval in shape; texture fine; surface slightly 

 glossy and finely pitted; colour white, some specimens with a 

 distinctly freckled patch of reddish and lilac on the apex, others 

 almost devoid of markings. Dimensions in mm, : — 34 x 24. 



Breeding Season. — November to January. 



Geographical Distribution. — Seas of Tasmania, Australia, New 

 Zealand, and the Southern Ocean in general. 



Observations. — The Grey-backed Storm-Petrel was first dis- 



