I9I7'] Dirk Hartog Island and Peron Peninsula . 573 



111 1877 I was assisting in droving a mob of 2000 sheep from 

 Carnarvon to Perth along the coast road, and Mallee Fowl 

 were abnndant then in the dense sort of Mallee scrub, and 

 other thicket, that extended along the telegraph-line from 

 south of the Wooramel River to Flint Cliff telegraph-station 

 (on Hamelin Pool at south-east corner of Shark's Bay) and 

 twenty or thirty miles south of there. Some of the birds, 

 and scores of their nests, were seen close to the telegraph-line, 

 which was erected along a narrow cleared strip of country. 

 Many bush natives were camped there, having come from 

 further inland on purpose to obtain the eggs of the Mallee 

 Fowl to eat. The season would be about early October, Most 

 of this scrub has now been burnt off, but residents informed 

 me last year that a few pairs of the birds still live and breed 

 there. 



Quail sp. ? On two occasions a single Quail was seen, 

 but no specimens were obtained, on Dirk Hartog Island. 



Sform-Petref. A single Storm-Petrel, apparently black 

 with white rump, was seen on 25 April, 1916, while sailing 

 in a cutter from Denham to Dirk Hartog. A strong wind 

 and nasty sea prevented its being secured. A similar bird 

 entered the dining-room of the shearers on Dirk Hartog and 

 fluttered about against the Avindow. It also escaped capture. 

 Probably the bird had been attracted by the lighted lamp in 

 the room and entered by the open door. The dining-room 

 was not far from the beach, 



Thyellodroma pacifica chlororhyncha. Western Wedge- 

 tailed Petrel. 



On 16 November, 1916, through the courtesy of 

 Mr. Edwards, the Inspector of Shark's Bay Fisheries, a 

 visit was made to Slope Island, which is a small rocky islet 

 about fifteen miles south-west of Denham, and particularly 

 interesting, as it is probably the locality where the type- 

 bird was obtained in 1818 by the French expedition, and 

 described by Lesson in 'Traite d'Ornithologie,' 1831. 



The islet has rocky cliffs, about 25 feet in height, all 



