182 DAVIS, Notes from WUUs J slum! ["^isfS"' 



a man holdinj; liis fine reccjrd i)i exploratory serxice with v^hackle- 

 ton in the j^reat Antarctic. Moreover, lie simply lived up to the 

 traditions of his great calling — to the exami)les of sympathy with 

 science and natural history disjjlayed in Australian waters hy 

 such other notable naval oflicers as Captain IJlackwood, of the 

 Fly, Captain Wickham and Cajitain Stokes, of the Bea(/lc. and 

 Captain Owen Stanley, of the Roftlcsnakc. 



On little Willis Island, a "s])eck" only 583 yards in length and 

 212 yards at its greatest width, Captain Davis and his assistants 

 remained from. 15th October, 1021, until U)th April, 1922. Re- 

 turning to Bri.sbane, the Director left here a large box of bird- 

 skins and many specimens of eggs, together with an informative 

 diary compiled from day t(j day on the island. After examina- 

 tion, the specimens were sent on to Mr. A. J. Campbell. 

 C.M.IkO.U., who was courteously granted permission b\- the 

 authorities of the Xatif)nal Museum to comi)are them with the 

 skins in the C(jllections there. 



The notes which follow are from Captain Davis's dian-. Scien- 

 tific names have been added according to the R.A.O.U. Check-list, 

 second edition. 



Sula dactylatra. Masked Gannet (called by Davis "White Gan- 

 net"). — Nestinpr-time, October and November. They nest on the beach, 

 and lay one epcK- Specimen No. 1 picked up on coral beach. Gannet 

 sittinj; at time. No nest apparent. Taken from noi'th side of island; 

 fresh when blown. The birds number about 75. Forty were counted 

 in a rookery on the eastern beach. The White Gannet is all white 

 except winjr and tail feathers, the beak yellowish stone colour, eyes 

 yellow. The only difference observed between male and female is that 

 the male has blue-trrey feet, while the female has stone-yellow feet 

 and also a briji:hter yellow beak. The Gannets do not leave the beach, 

 but having selected a portion for a rookery, always return to it. The 

 younK are covered with down at birth, and have a firey or black beak. 

 They ji'radually fledge, becominji- covered with bluish g-rey feathers, 

 which eventually turn white. The youn^ are about four months 

 gettinjr this Rrey plumage, and by this time are able to fly, althouprh 

 they are still fed by the parent, and do not stray very far from the 

 particular spot where they were born. The White Gannets appear to 

 live chiefly on flyinjr fish. One of them, while being: pursued by a 

 Frigate Biid, vomited up a flyinjr fish, which I aftei-wards measured, 

 and found to be i:^ in. from head to tip of tail. 



March 26th, 1922. — The younjr Gannets born in December are now 

 fully fledfjed and just able to fly. They are still fed by the parent 

 birds. 



April (>th, 1922. — The White Gannets have been separating from the 

 rookery in pairs during the last fortnight, and selecting: positions on 

 the beach. To-day I found a couple with an ejrtr. There was no nest. 

 The CKR is just laid on the coral beach sand about hijrh-water mark. 

 This is the first (Jannet's ckK I have seen this year. 



April 13th, 1922. — I observed a White Gannet sittinjr on two eggs 

 to-day. This is the first time I have seen more than a single egg, 

 which appears to be the usual number. 



Sula leucogasler. Brown Gaiuiet. — Nesting time, October and No- 

 vember. Nest on the grassed portion of the island, and on its upper 

 slopes. Nest consists of pieces of coral, and twigs laid loosely on 

 the grass. Lays one or two eggs. Specimens obtained on March 2()th, 



