568 Mr. T. Carter on the Birds of [Ibis, 



is very little above sea-level and, with heavy north-west winds 

 blowing straight down the bay, it is occasionally actnally 

 submerged for a short space of time. The area of the Peron 

 peninsula is 213,000 acres, and it is also a sheep-station. 

 Dorre and Bernier Islands, in a line almost north of Dirk 

 Hartog Island, form, with the latter, the western boundary 

 of the bay. As the map shows, there are many remarkable 

 long narrow inlets in the southern part of it. These are 

 mostly of very shallow water, full of sand-banks, and the 

 same applies to the greater part of Shark's Bay. The chief 

 industry is pearling, and a fleet of cutters of various sizes 

 and tonnage is constantly at work. The shells are much 

 smaller and of less value than those from the north-western 

 pearling-grounds, but they are rich in pearls. On account 

 of the shallow waters, there is no diving for the shells ; 

 these are obtained either by collecting them off the banks 

 by means of dredges, towed from the boats as they sail over 

 them, or they are gathered by hand direct, by men wading 

 at low tides, and picking up the shells from the marked and 

 surveyed " banks " of the respective owners, who pay an 

 annual rent and license to the Government for the right to 

 do so. Most of the employees are coloured men of many 

 nationalities. 



The climate of Shark's Bay is one of the most even in 

 the world, the mean annual temperature being about 

 65° F. Frosts are practically unknown. The annual 

 rainfall varies from nine to twelve inches, and it is too 

 uncertain for agricultural purposes. The rainfall on Dirk 

 Hartog Island is rather more than that on the Peron, as 

 many showers coming off the Indian Ocean are precipitated 

 there first. The wet season is in the winter months (April 

 to October), when the climate may be called perfect. In 

 the summer months, heavy south to south-west gales prevail 

 ("southerly busters'^) for weeks together, and, although 

 they keep down the temperature, they are much too strong 

 to be pleasant. The records of temperature taken at the 

 Flint Cliff' telegraph-station, on Hamelin Pool, in the south- 

 eastern corner of the bav, arc almost invariablv ten degrees 



