^"'iS'"] Le SOUEF, Xofes on Seo Birds. 53 



rough weather. Twice in the viciiiit\- of Albany I saw a "large 

 Black I'etrel with white line under primaries and fluttering 

 flight." This bird approached the ship from afar, flying high, 

 and after circling round went oiif again. It was a stoutly built 

 bird with nothing like the graceful mo\enients of the Shear- 

 waters. 



Several times a bird with a soft grey l)ack and white breast was 

 noted in the Bight. 



Spectacled Petrels (Procellaria conspicillata), with white chin 

 and sometimes white face, were numerous from Durban to about 

 20 degrees south in the Atlantic. Their actions were much the 

 same as those of the Shearwaters, but, unlike these, they follow- 

 ed the ship. 



The pretty little Cape Petrel {Dapfioii capensis) was noticed 

 on many occasions between Cape Howe and Durban. They were 

 never numerous. They often followed the ship for a day, and 

 had a flight distinctive from that of any other sea bird. 



Prions were noted on several occasions between Melbourne 

 and Albany. Once during a storm, thousands of them were 

 flying slowly round and round the ship. 



Surely the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exiiIa}KO is the 

 most numerous sea bird. They were our constant attendants 

 from vSydney to latitude 21 deg. south in the Atlantic. The dif- 

 ference between the birds in the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic 

 was most marked. In the Indian Ocean large birds were often 

 noted with wings white with the exception of the primaries, but 

 oft' the west coast of Africa all birds, and there were often dozens 

 round the ship, had the wings brown with the exception of the 

 olecranal mark, and they certainly seemed to be smaller. Be- 

 tween Auckland and Sydney in February only a few birds were 

 noted, and they had the wings light up to the olecranal mark. 

 Comparing their pace with that of the ship, I judged that they 

 flew at about 30 to 40 miles an hour. 



After the Wanderer, the Black-browed (Diomedea melan- 

 ophrys) was the most numerous Albatross. They were seen from 

 Sydney to two days out from Albany, and then not noted again 

 until after leaving Durban. This species flies proportionately 

 slower than D. exulans. In overtaking the ship they kept up 

 with the larger bird, bnt took a more direct course. 



The W'hite-capped Albatross (Diomedea caufa) was identi- 

 fied once, the day after leaving Melbourne. 



Grey-headed and Yellow-nosed Albatrosses (Diomedea chry- 

 sostoma and D. chlorliyncJins) were more or less in constant at- 

 tendance from Sydney till within a thousand miles from Durban 

 (longitude 7S deg., latitude 30). Only one Yellow-nosed Alba- 

 tross was seen after this, between Durban and Capetown. 



Sooty Albatrosses (Pha^hetria fuse a) were noted sparingly 

 from the Australian Bight to within three days' sail of Durban. 

 Only one light form was noted, and that on C^ctober 1st, two days 

 out from Albany. 



