1^6 Roval Aitstralasiaii Ovintliologists' Union. f^^' 



the verge of flying. Down on the roeks at the water's edge were 

 large parties of young and Vjirds of the previous year. A rocky islet 

 near the homestead was much frequented by non-breeding birds. 

 At the colony old birds sat on their nests quite undisturbed by my 

 presence, and right in the midst a "pair of Sea-Eagles {Haliaetiis 

 lencogasier] had hatched two young ones. The rock on which the 

 Eagles had built was thickly surrounded by Cormorants' nests. I 

 found one small group of nests, all of which contained eggs. Three 

 was the maximum number. 



The breeding season must commence earlv in June. I was informed 

 when I landed tliat Ihe birds on Shag Mia were already hatching 

 their eggs. 



^lons. Arago has the following note, which undoubtedly refers to 

 Cormorants. He and a companion were searching for Mons. 

 Gaimard and another of the party, w^ho were missing. He writes :— 

 " We proceeded toward the lake {i.e., the Big Lagoonj, along which 

 we marched for two hours. . . During the search guns were fired 

 off, the report of which disturbed . . . prodigious numbers of 

 birds, in plumage resembling our Ducks and in voice our Ravens." 

 The search proved fruitless, the only result being the discovery of a 

 " half-l)uried pair of trousers that we knew belonged to Mons. 

 Gaimard." 



Some controversv has recentlv taken place in The Emit with regard 

 to the food of Cormorants. As far as Shark Bay is concerned, 

 when the breeding season is on the staple diet is fish. No doubt 

 species of indifferent qualitv, as far as human food goes, are eaten 

 with other valuable kinds. Twice, on sailing across the .sound from 

 Denham, a Cormorant was obser\-ed at close quarters struggling to 

 get down a large flounder. 



At the Quoin Bluff is a good schnapper ground, and I found it took 

 up far less time to walk from camp to the headland and catch a few 

 schnapper than to go right in to the homestead for meat. A con- 

 venient method of getting a fish bait was to fire off a gun near a 

 group of well-grown young Cormorants, which, in their fright, 

 promptly disgorged, in a very sound condition, their morning's meal. 

 Once, when I adopted this stratagem, a fine young bird rolled over 

 and over down about ten feet of the cliff face ; before he pulled up 

 he disgorged four parrot-fish, each about five inches in length. These 

 Parrot-fish all came up abreast. Amongst other species of fish I 

 obtained in like manner I identified a garfish lo inches in length, 

 voung schnapper and mullet up to six inches. I estimated the 

 number of nests at over 2,500. The majority contained three young 

 l)irds. I was informed the colonv at Shag Mia had an equally 

 abundant population. The consitmiption of fish must be enormous. 

 I do not know^ what enemies the Shags have to keep down their 

 numbers, but I saw evidence that the Sea-Eagles occasionally preyed 

 on the young birds. The Silver Gulls, too, were not above devouring 

 their eggs when they got the chance. Despite the vast numbers of 

 Shags in Shark Bay, the fishing grounds there are considered amongst 

 the most prolific in Western Australia. 



Pelecanus conspicillatus. Pelican. — I occasionally saw small parties 

 of Pelicans on the shores of Dirk Hartog, and also on Peron. Mr. 

 T. Carter writes that an island near the eastern coast of Shark Bay 

 had, in bygone times, a large breeding colony established there, and 

 he thinks the species may nest there at the present day. Mons. 



